Holiday hurt: Inflation is changing how Canadians do Christmas
Holiday hurt: Inflation is changing how Canadians do Christmas
The impacts of inflation are changing how Canadians do Christmas.
A new poll by the Angus Reid Institute says more than half of Canadians – 56 per cent – say they will be spending less on Christmas, including presents and entertaining.
"When you look at the Atlantic Canadian data, among the highest numbers in the country in Nova Scotia, 57 per cent, say they're worse off now,” said Dave Korzinski, the research director with Angus Reid Institute.
“In Newfoundland and Labrador, 54 per cent, in New Brunswick 53 per cent, all of those are higher than the national average of 50 per cent,” Korzinski said.
This is the first time the non-profit's data has shown that more than 50 per cent of Canadians say they are financially worse off this year than this time last year.
"Seeing food banks across the country who are dealing with essentially budgets that are smaller and demand that is larger, which is a really tough recipe when you're trying to keep your programs going,” Korzinski said.
"When it's more expensive for your household, imagine buying it for 1,400 households,” said Alex Boyd, the executive director Greener Village Food Bank in Fredericton.
“So, that's what we do with milk and eggs, those are very seldom donated items,” Boyd said.
Charitable giving is also already down this holiday season, according to the poll.
"To see 37 per cent of Canadians say they're cutting back on donations, including more than two-in-five who are older, who are 55+ who tend to be the most generous and the most consistent givers, has been really challenging for a lot of charities,” Korzinski said.
"It's always a concern that we watch for, especially being an organization that relies heavily on November and December giving to make up for the leaner months earlier in the year,” Boyd said.
Eighty-seven per cent of Canadians say they have cut back on spending in some way recently – up from 80 per cent in August.
The federal Liberals are withdrawing an amendment to their guns bill that introduced a controversial new definition of an assault-style weapon. The amendment would have defined what kind of firearms should be banned in Canada and added dozens of new semi-automatic rifles and shotguns to the list.
Medicago Inc., the Quebec-based drug manufacturer of a Canadian COVID-19 vaccine and other plant-based drugs, is being shut down by parent company Mitsubishi Chemical Group.
The Department of National Defence says Canada is working with the United States to protect sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats after a high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected.
Hundreds of customers who scan QR codes for restaurant menus across Canada are being surprised by secret menus instead, revealing the hidden costs behind the food they eat.
The post-apocalyptic TV adaptation of the video game The Last of Us has some wondering about the real-life possibility of a global pandemic caused by fungus, and one expert says it’s not a concept to dismiss.
Canada's egg industry appears to be quietly sidestepping widespread shortages and wildly spiking prices affecting other countries, and some say supply management is to thank.
British Columbia Premier David Eby says he's going into next week's health-care meeting between the premiers and prime minister with an open mind — and without a red line dollar ask for the federal government.
Big tech companies that offer online streaming services could soon be required to contribute to Canadian content as a controversial Liberal bill gets one step closer to becoming law.
Helicopter video has captured the dramatic moment three people entered a Scotiabank east of Toronto during an alleged armed robbery before being swarmed by police as they tried to escape.
A Quebec woman’s eyes welled with tears as she picked up her stolen Audi from an Ontario auto shop, not far from where her car smashed through the glass doors of a mall in an 'audacious' theft.
The federal Liberals are withdrawing an amendment to their guns bill that introduced a controversial new definition of an assault-style weapon. The amendment would have defined what kind of firearms should be banned in Canada and added dozens of new semi-automatic rifles and shotguns to the list.
Officials with a multi-year pilot project that helps Calgary's homeless find shelter during blasts of cold weather say the initiative is paying dividends.
The Montreal fire department is advising people to avoid Sherbrooke Street East at Carignan Avenue in the Longue Pointe neighbourhood as a five-alarm fire is burning.
Hydro-Québec is asking its customers to take a few steps to reduce electricity consumption in Quebec as a period of intense cold weather began Thursday night in most regions. The utility predicts that on Friday and Saturday, electricity demand could exceed the historical peak consumption, which was about 40,500 megawatts (MW) in January 2022.
A beloved man who was a fixture on the streets of Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grace neighbourhood died last year from a combination of street drugs in his system, including fentanyl, a coroner has ruled.
A former Edmonton Police Service officer believes bringing Alberta Sheriffs into downtown Edmonton is a risky plan that has the potential to backfire if not done properly.
The federal Liberals are withdrawing an amendment to their guns bill that introduced a controversial new definition of an assault-style weapon. The amendment would have defined what kind of firearms should be banned in Canada and added dozens of new semi-automatic rifles and shotguns to the list.
Highway 11 in northern Ontario reopened Thursday afternoon after a collision involving several vehicles prompted police to close the road from Highway 66 near Kenogami Lake to Matheson for several hours.
A former high school teacher who skipped out on his sentencing hearing for sex-related crimes and was re-captured almost a week later will be back in a London courtroom next week.
Winterlude kicks off in Ottawa and Gatineau today, as the national capital region's winter festival returns with in-person activities for the first time in three years.
Aaron Benneweis, 46, has been charged by Saskatoon Police with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor while in a position of trust or authority.
With a wind warning in effect for Metro Vancouver, BC Ferries has cancelled at least two sailings scheduled for Friday and says nearly two dozen more may follow suit.
A teenager in Nanaimo, B.C., is being hailed as a hero by his family after a would-be robber entered their business and the boy scared him off with a baseball bat.
Mayor Ken Sim's A Better City Vancouver party spent nearly twice as much as any other party on last year's municipal elections, according to data released by Elections BC Thursday.
The provincial government is looking for ways to ease the workload for Saskatchewan doctors. It is proposing that pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and paramedics play a greater role in treating patients.
The federal Liberals are withdrawing an amendment to their guns bill that introduced a controversial new definition of an assault-style weapon. The amendment would have defined what kind of firearms should be banned in Canada and added dozens of new semi-automatic rifles and shotguns to the list.
A teenager in Nanaimo, B.C., is being hailed as a hero by his family after a would-be robber entered their business and the boy scared him off with a baseball bat.
