Maritimers react to skyrocketing inflation rates, grocery prices

Stunning new numbers from Statistics Canada Wednesday show the country’s inflation rate hitting 7.7 per cent. Grocery prices are also up nearly 10 per cent compared to a year ago.

With inflation now at its highest point in nearly 40 years, Maritime consumers say they are cutting corners.

“I watch for sales, this isn’t the only grocery store I’ll go to, I’ll go to the No Frills just down around the corner, so I’ll hop back-and-forth trying to find the best deal,” says Sobeys shopper Keegan Stevens-Kelly.

Stevens-Kelly recently moved to Nova Scotia. He says his self-imposed food budget of $75 dollars isn’t enough.

“It’s gotten a lot harder to keep it at that number, at that $75. I usually spend $100 on groceries just for myself.”

Milk is just one item going up in price. The Canadian Dairy Commission announced a 2.5 per cent hike effective in September. Food industry expert Sylvain Charlebois says this is the first time in a decade the commission has boosted the price mid-year.

“2.5 per cent in September is going to happen when kids are back to school. Demand for food and milk is typically up in September, so obviously many families will impacted.”

As the price of dairy climbs, alternatives like oat, soy and almond milk are becoming cheaper.

“Sales are actually exploding for dairy alternatives. So basically you’re building a financial argument for consumers to actually switch,” says Charlebois.

For some, the savings still isn’t enough.

“The number of new people requiring support from food banks, for the first quarter of this year, was double what it was last year,” says the executive director of Feed Nova Scotia, Nick Jennery.

To keep up with the demand, Feed Nova Scotia buys $1 million dollars’ worth of food every year to supplement donations. That amount is expected to climb along with inflation.