Seniors in Williams Lake will be taking part in another province-wide protest on Oct. 5 as part of Tin Cup rallies calling for higher pensions.
In Williams Lake, a rally will be led by Tina Derksen on the sidewalk in front of FreshCo at Third Avenue and Oliver Street starting at 11 a.m. on Oct. 5.
Derksen said one in four seniors lives below the poverty line, with women in particular bearing the brunt of low pensions and a lack of support for costs like hearing aids and dental care.
"It's rough, it really is rough," said Derksen. She said in her work helping out at the seniors recreation centre, she sees some really hard cases, with seniors in dire circumstances. While she said she doesn't hold out hope the federal government will increase pensions anytime soon, she hopes the province will increase supports for items like hearing aids, which she said can cost between $5,000 and $7,000 and do not last forever.
Rallies will be held in six communities around B.C., including Vernon, Terrace, Vanderhoof, Salmon Arm, and Kamloops.
"Seniors are sick and tired of being poor and living below the poverty line," stated Tin Cup organizers in their news release.
The group is calling for seniors to take part or sign their online petition.
To find out more, go to www.seniorstincup.org.
This story was updated to include comments from the organizer.
