Want work, can't travel: high gas prices affecting Glanbrook labour force
Gas prices have temporarily dropped after an unprecedented leap earlier this year, but still remain high enough that some Glanbrook residents are having difficulty affording transportation to their jobs.
I've lost a job at a convenience store because when I couldn't get a ride, I couldn't work," said Binbrook resident Kyle Mete. That was when I was a teenager. But today, the same holds true. Unless you can get out, you can't really get a job."
Mete moved in with his mother two years ago after injuries sustained from a collision, and said obtaining a job has been difficult as a result.
I am prone to seizures so I can't drive," he said. Decent apartments became expensive and I can't work at what I used to before the accident.
But I can work, I want to work, and I need to get there."
Mount Hope resident Becky Holden said she has spent the summer with her aunt in Hamilton so that she can work at a grocery store.
I bought a car from a family friend and I had a budget, I had a plan," said the 22-year-old. I didn't think the gas hike would be this bad, and at least my aunt is nice enough to help me save for university."
Ward 11 Coun. Brenda Johnson, has voiced opposition to the project, instead wanting grant money to be used to improve Hamilton's existing transportation service.
Morley Smith, 22, has given up on accessing public transport, saying he'd be dropped off "in the middle of nowhere." Sometimes, he's waited over an hour for a bus, which made him late for his shifts at his part-time job in the city.
I was accepted for OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) and I built this bucket of bolts from its skeleton," he said, pointing to his car. I saved thousands and learned a lot, and having a car helped me a ton with internship opportunities outside school.
But even with two part time jobs, I can't afford gas to keep up momentum of school-related opportunities," he said. Being able to get to internship, to the odd small job is everything, and I'm worried that I won't be able to finish school.
That's how much a car can change the game."
- with files from Jeff Tribe
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: When we read posts of people asking for assistance to get to their jobs, citing high gas prices, we wanted to gauge how serious the problem is.