Help in hard times
What help exists today, sector by sector, and what the District can add
Most of the help in a downturn comes from Ottawa and Victoria, and much of it is automatic if you file your taxes. The District's job is to run its own house well and make sure people know what exists. This page lists what is available today, sector by sector, with the date each figure was checked.
Figures checked September 13, 2026. Federal and provincial amounts change; the linked page is always the final word.
Groceries and food
From Ottawa
- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, which replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026. A family of four gets up to $1,890 in 2026 and about $1,400 a year after; a single person up to $950, then about $700. Automatic when you file taxes. Source
- The National School Food Program is now permanent; in North Vancouver schools it runs as Food Access, with breakfast, snacks and lunches that differ by school. Source
From Victoria
- Buy BC labels and a directory of local producers, farmers' markets and retailers. Source
On the North Shore
- Harvest Project grocery support and the North Shore food asset map, which lists low-cost meals, subsidised groceries, community gardens and school programs. Source
Campaign priority What the District can add
The District cannot set prices. It can fund food organisations through community grants, give them permissive tax exemptions and space, approve farmers' markets and community gardens on District land quickly, and put the food map on the front of dnv.org.
Renters
From Ottawa
Nothing specific to this group.
From Victoria
- B.C. renter's tax credit: $400 a year. For the 2026 tax year the full credit goes to adjusted incomes under $66,189 and phases out by $86,189. Claim it on your tax return. Source
- Monthly rent help from BC Housing: SAFER for renters 60 and over, and the Rental Assistance Program for working families with a dependent child. Both are income-tested and renewed yearly. Source
On the North Shore
- North Shore Rent Bank, run by Harvest Project: no-interest loans up to $2,500 for an individual or $3,500 for a family to cover arrears, a first month's rent or a deposit. Source
Campaign priority What the District can add
Fund the rent bank through community grants, enforce the District's tenant relocation bylaw when buildings are redeveloped, and keep rental homes in every town-centre approval.
Homeowners
From Ottawa
- GST removed for first-time buyers on homes up to $1 million. Source
From Victoria
- Property tax deferment: the Province pays your municipal taxes and registers a lien. Open to homeowners 55 and over, surviving spouses, people with disabilities, and families with children. From the 2026 tax year the interest is prime plus 2%, compounding monthly, so it costs more than it used to. Source
- The home owner grant reduces the school-tax portion of the bill. Source
On the North Shore
Nothing specific to this group.
Campaign priority What the District can add
Council sets the penalty dates and instalment options. In 2020 the District split the residential penalty into 2% on July 3 and 8% on September 1 and moved the commercial penalty to October 1; that is the precedent for relief by timing in a bad year. A tax bill in plain language, and a municipal increase held to what services need.
Seniors
From Ottawa
- Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, reviewed quarterly against inflation. Apply for GIS through Service Canada if you have not. Source
From Victoria
On the North Shore
- North Vancouver Recreation and Culture financial assistance for anyone whose finances keep them out of programs at the rec centres. Source
Campaign priority What the District can add
Keep the rec-centre fee assistance funded and advertised, support seniors' programs and yard and snow help through community grants, and make municipal hall answer the phone.
Families and children
From Ottawa
From Victoria
- B.C. Family Benefit, the Affordable Child Care Benefit (family incomes up to $111,000) and $10 a Day child-care sites. Source
On the North Shore
- Rec-centre fee assistance and the Harvest Project family supports. Source
Campaign priority What the District can add
Child-care spaces in District facilities and in new developments, under the District's child care action plan, and no cuts to the programs families use most.
Workers
From Ottawa
- Employment Insurance: the one-week waiting period is waived for another year, severance does not have to be used up first, long-tenured workers get an extra 20 weeks, and penalties are waived for workers who left a recent job. Announced August 25, 2026. Source
- Workforce Retention and Retraining Program: when an employer cuts hours instead of jobs, EI tops up wages and the employer gets funding to keep and retrain each worker, with up to $1,000 per participant for training. Source
From Victoria
- StrongerBC Future Skills Grant of up to $3,500 for short training; WorkBC job services; Build Your Own Future bootcamps with $5,000 start-up grants for displaced workers. Source
On the North Shore
Nothing specific to this group.
Campaign priority What the District can add
Post the federal and provincial programs at municipal hall and on dnv.org, hire locally for District projects, and keep capital work that employs local trades on schedule instead of deferring it.
Small business
From Ottawa
- Regional Tariff Response Initiative, through PacifiCan in B.C.: up to $3 million in non-repayable support for a tariff-hit small or medium business, including up to $2 million for liquidity. Expanded September 2026. Source
- BDC Pivot to Grow: loans of $250,000 to $5 million, interest-only for 36 months. Source
From Victoria
- Free one-to-one business advisors at 1-855-698-2157, the Buy BC program, and the Workforce Training Grant. Source
On the North Shore
Nothing specific to this group.
Campaign priority What the District can add
The District cannot cut one sector's licence fees or give a grant to a business. It can set a permit service standard and meet it, approve patios and temporary uses quickly, extend the commercial tax penalty date in a bad year, and adopt a revitalization tax exemption bylaw for a defined area such as Lynn Valley, Lions Gate, Maplewood or Edgemont, which the Charter allows for up to ten years.
Food banks and non-profits
From Ottawa
- An extra $20 million to the Local Food Infrastructure Fund for food banks, announced January 26, 2026. Source
From Victoria
Nothing specific to this group.
On the North Shore
- The North Shore Poverty Reduction Strategy, written by the two North Vancouvers, West Vancouver, Squamish Nation and Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Source
Campaign priority What the District can add
Permissive tax exemptions under section 224 of the Charter, Municipal Community Service Grants, and low-cost use of District rooms for the organisations doing the work.
Hydro and utility bills
From Ottawa
Nothing specific to this group.
From Victoria
- BC Hydro Customer Crisis Fund: grants of up to $800 (electric heat) or $700 (other heat) to avoid disconnection after a job loss, medical bills or a death in the family. Free energy-saving retrofits for income-qualified homes through ECAP. Source
On the North Shore
Nothing specific to this group.
Campaign priority What the District can add
Payment arrangements on District utility bills for anyone who asks, and the crisis fund printed on the bill itself.
Two pages that list everything
- B.C. Benefits Connector — every provincial benefit on one page
- Government of Canada — tax credits and benefits for individuals
How this page was put together
Every item links to the government or organisation that provides it, and the figures were read from those pages on September 13, 2026. The "what the District can add" lines are Max's commitments and are labelled as campaign priorities, not facts. Section 25 of the Community Charter, which stops a municipality from assisting a business, is the reason several of them say what the District cannot do.
All sources and documents · The full plan
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