Alberta's food services suffered during last COVID-19 shut down: StatCan
The province's food services industry took a big hit during the last shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.
The report, released last week indicated that Alberta suffered the heaviest losses in the country because of the closure of indoor and outdoor dining on May 10.
"The increase in sales at limited-service restaurants (+0.6 per cent), special food services (+1.5 per cent) and drinking places (+1.6 per cent) were not enough to offset the decline at full-service restaurants (-3.2 per cent). Eight provinces reported lower sales, with the largest decrease in dollar terms in Alberta," the agency wrote.
StatCan said sales from April 2021 to May 2021 dropped by 5.5 per cent or approximately $32,717,000.
However, despite those losses, the agency says it's still a vast improvement over the revenue earned in May 2020, when the country was just three months into the shut down.
Country wide, StatCan said there was only a 0.6 per cent drop in sales for the food services industry and a 37.1 per cent jump in sales from last year.
But the agency said all those figures were also affected by higher prices of some menu items.
"Prices for food purchased from restaurants were up 2.6 per cent in May 2021 compared with May 2020, and prices for alcoholic beverages served in licensed establishments decreased 1.5 per cent over the same period."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.