From gas to groceries, Canadians are paying more as inflation rate hits 4.4 per cent
Whether you're filling up at the gas pump or filling up your grocery cart, it's costing you more. Statistics Canada reported the overall inflation in September reached 4.4 per cent, the highest it's been in 18 years.
Much of that price hike is due to the soaring cost of gasoline with people spending 32.8 per cent more to fill up at the pumps last month compared to September 2020.
Overall food prices climbed nearly four per cent while meat jumped 9.5 per cent.
Sylvain Charlebois, an agri-food analyst at Dalhousie University, told CTV News Calgary that the increasing costs will likely continue for several months.
"This is our new reality," he said
"Prices aren't going to be dropping at all and so we should change our expectations -- we should expect to pay more for food moving forward."
Charlebois anticipates the higher food prices will start to level out sometime around March.
"It's extreme. Everything has gone up. Not double, not triple, but almost quadruple. A lot of prices have gone up," said one Calgarian who had just finished her grocery shopping Wednesday afternoon.
Pushing up the prices are supply-chain constraints, higher demand and labour force shortages that are increasing employee costs.
Gas prices are also expected to hover higher than normal for a little while, experts say.
"We're really in the first inning of what is going to be a surge in energy prices," said Dan McTeague, the president of Canadians for Affordable Energy.
"Not just gasoline, but of course natural gas and propane and other products we desperately need."
StatsCan also released city-specific inflation rates, though the agency cautioned the numbers could fluctuate due to smaller samples.
Calgary's inflation rate for September was 4.2 per cent, down from 4.9 per cent compared to the previous month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.