Grocery bills set to climb again as more Canadians struggle to put food on the table
Nationwide inflation has hit a 30-year high and Canadians are feeling the pinch almost every time they pull out their credit card.
But perhaps the most concerning cost increase is one that's impossible to avoid: more and more are finding it hard to put food on the table.
New numbers from Angus Reid suggest 57 per cent of polled Canadians find feeding their household difficult. That's up from 36 per cent in April 2019.
In 2021, the price for groceries climbed year-over-year by 5.7 per cent: the largest jump in a decade. And things will almost certainly get harder in 2022.
"We're not expecting prices to drop any time soon and promotions are going to be rare," food supply and policy expert Sylvain Charlebois said. "Because of what's going on with the (truckers' vaccine mandate at the) border, produce is going to be a challenge. Dairy will also be a challenge, and bakery."
The Canadian Dairy Commission – citing pandemic disruptions – has called for a February raw milk price hike.
Much of the cost will be unloaded onto consumers.
"It could be as much as 15 per cent," Charlebois told CTV News.
The advice from experts?
Limit waste by taking more trips to the store, if you feel safe.
On a larger scale, supply chain observers say governments need to stop relying on inconsistent channels.
"We need supply chain network redesign," Dr. Rajbir Bhatti said. "If things have to be brought in, they run the risk of disruption. We don't know how many units of what we are going to get by next weekend. Forecasting has become a huge problem."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.