Canada’s inflation rate climbs to highest level in a decade as cost-of-living increases for Albertans
Albertans are continuing to recover financially from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the price of basic goods isn’t providing any sort of reprieve as inflation rates heat up.
Canada’s inflation rate increased to 3.6 per cent in May, which is the fastest pace in a decade, according to Statistics Canada. The data agency notes that the price of several goods is increasing much faster than usual, which includes everything from home renovations, energy, groceries, and other consumer products.
The cost of lumber for example has soared, according to Chicago Lumber Futures, from just over $400USD per thousand board feet at the beginning of the pandemic, to now as high as $1,700USD per thousand board feet.
Meanwhile, gasoline prices have soared 43 per cent this year with the average cost per litre in Calgary coming in at around $1.33.
The price of traveller accommodation also rose up 6.7 per cent, which is the highest rate seen since the pandemic began.
The increases are hitting consumers harder than expected, but also smaller businesses like Urban Butcher.
“The more in demand cuts like the grilling cuts and steaks are seeing a much bigger jump in upwards of the 10 to 15 per cent range,” said store Manager, Shane Eustace.
“A lot of it is supply and demand, we’re subject to market forces even though we’re a naturally raised beef store that deals with smaller suppliers.
Eustace adds that cattle and feed prices in the United States have created a concern as his store doesn’t have the buying power of a big box retailer.
“We try to model where those prices are going and try to provide alternatives and so on to find ways to give people creative meal ideas in spite of the price.”
Several shoppers CTV News spoke with outside of grocery stores on Thursday agree that they’re now changing their habits and shopping more strategically.
A new poll from Angus Reid Institute also found that 92 per cent of Canadian shoppers expect their grocery bill to climb in the next six months, while just one per cent thought their costs would drop in that time frame.
NO NEED TO OVERREACT: ECONOMIST
While the 3.6 per cent increase in Canada’s inflation rate represents a spike much larger than the Bank of Canada’s targeted one to three per cent range, some economists are suggesting there’s no need to panic.
Associate Professor in the University of Calgary’s Department of Economics Trevor Tombe says the inflation rate in May is measured relative to where it was in May of last year when the pandemic began.
“That’s when prices fell a lot actually in April and May related to those disruptions from COVID so this is an increase from a lower initial level so we still are behind where we would have been in terms of price increases if COVID never happened,” Tombe said.
“The biggest factor pushing that 3.6 per cent inflation rate is gasoline, which is up over 40 per cent for the year, so without gasoline price increases, the inflation would have been 2.5 per cent which is within that one to three per cent target range that we have in Canada.”
Tombe adds that he expects inflation in the future to remain right where the Bank of Canada wants it to be around the two per cent range.
“Gasoline is an interesting one to watch because if oil prices fall then pretty soon we might see inflation numbers on the lower end of that target range.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confirms his party will support the Liberals' federal budget
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will support the federal budget, ending any speculation that the party could pull out of its deal with the minority Liberal government.
Dental care program accepting claims for 1 million seniors
Citizens' Services Minister Terry Beech says 1,200 seniors have already visited a dentist and had their claims processed by the federal government's new dental care plan.