VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – An annual look at child poverty in the country continues to look bad for BC.

Our province is again the worst in Canada, with enough poor children to fill Rogers Arena more than eight times.

Nearly to one in five children in BC is living in poverty, according to the review of 2011 Statistics Canada figures by the advocacy coalition First Call. Half live in Metro Vancouver.

The coalition is calling for a comprehensive poverty reduction plan. It argues economic growth alone won’t solve the problem, and accuses BC of doing the least of any province to reduce child poverty through government transfers.

The coalition’s Lorraine Copas is calling for a comprehensive poverty reduction plan.

“We know it is about increasing minimum wage. We know it is about a living wage, about affordable housing, about affordable child care,” she says.

Anita Huberman of the Surrey Board of Trade is challenging business to care more about children. “I also know unless we address this issue of children, their health, their education, poverty and well being, it will cost business.”

The group argues economic growth alone won’t solve the problem, and accuses BC of doing the least of any province to reduce child poverty through government transfers.

The 2011 stats indicate BC’s child poverty rate is at 18.6 per cent, using the before-tax low income cut-off as the measure. That’s up from 14.3 per cent in 2010.

That means there are 153,000 poor children in BC.

The BC government says its focus is on economic growth as a way to create jobs and provide support for families.

“BC’s single digit unemployment rates across every region in the province are a positive sign that we are on track for continued economic growth,” says Children and Family Development Minister Stephanie Cadieux. “That growth allows government to continue providing targeted supports to low-income families.”