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The number of working people turning to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank is rising at triple the rate of those with other income sources such as pensions and income assistance.

“(Client interviews) show an increase in the number of working people, up about 86 per cent over last year,” said Cynthia Boulter, the chief development officer at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. “That’s the most of any category.”

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The food bank has served 21,700 clients in the past 12 months, and 6,000 of those were first-time visitors.

The city’s rental market is a big part of the problem.

The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Vancouver is about $3,100, the most expensive rate in Canada, according to Padmapper.com. Burnaby is not far behind at $2,250.

Compare that with Calgary ($1,300), Edmonton ($1,210), Montreal ($1,785) and Ottawa ($1,570).

“I think in Vancouver, particularly, where the cost of living is so high, just because you have a job doesn’t mean you can afford to pay all of your bills and feed yourself well,” said Boulter.