From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Amid soaring prices at grocery stores, a new survey has found that 23.6 per cent of Canadians have had to cut back on the amount of food they were buying.
The survey, conducted by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab in partnership with Caddle, was conducted between Sept. 8 and 10 and involved 5,000 Canadians from coast to coast. Over the last year, 8.2 per cent said they've had to change their diet to save money on food and 7.1 per cent said they've skipped meals because of the cost of groceries.
"There is this sense of desperation out there. Twenty-four percent of Canadians are actually literally buying less food due to higher prices and of that number, almost 70 per cent are women. So it is highly likely that children are impacted by what's going on with food inflation," Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab, told CTV News Channel on Tuesday.
The survey also found that nearly three quarters of consumers were changing their buying habits in order to snag better deals at the grocery store. Of the respondents, 33.7 per cent said they were using more loyalty program points to pay for groceries in the last year.
In addition, 32.1 per cent said they were reading flyers more often and 23.9 per cent said they were using more coupons at the grocery store.
Numbers from Statistics Canada released on Tuesday showed that the year-over-year inflation rate was at 7.0 per cent for the month of August. But while the overall inflation rate has declined from the previous month, grocery prices have risen 10.8 per cent since last year -- the fastest pace in over 40 years.
"The food inflation rate has outpaced the general inflation rate for several months now. And that's why Canadians are forced to adopt new strategies," said Charlebois.
Some Canadians said they're seeking deals at different types of stores. Of the survey respondents, 19.1 per cent said they visited more discount stores (such as No Frills or FreshCo) for groceries while 11.5 per cent reported visiting dollar stores more frequently to buy food.
In addition, 8.0 per cent of Canadians said they changed their primary grocery store in the past year while 12.9 per cent said they've started to visit more than one store. As well, 18.0 per cent said they're buying food in bulk more often.
"Unlike 40 years ago, when food inflation was an issue for just a few months, Canadians are absolutely aware now that this food inflation 'boogeyman' will be around for a while," Charlebois said.
The survey also found that 40.6 per cent of Canadians said they're trying to waste less food now compared to 12 months ago, while 19.7 per cent are buying more discounted food that's about to expire. Atlantic Canada had the highest percentage of consumers buying more close-to-expired food at 29.1 per cent, followed by the Prairies at 19.5 per cent.
“Seeing food waste reduction as the number one thing consumers are doing to cut costs is encouraging,” said Janet Music, co-author of the report, in a news release. “Consumers appear to see food waste reduction as a form of incentive, and not just a way to adopt a more sustainable way of life.”
Some Canadians (15.5 per cent) have also started to grow more of their food. Ontario had the highest percentage of respondents who reported growing their own food at 17.4 per cent, followed by B.C. at 16.2 per cent.
In addition, 21.0 per cent are choosing to buy more food from private-label brands such as No Name and Compliments.
Private-label brands are most popular in Atlantic Canada, where 27.8 per cent said they were buying more store-brand food, followed by Quebec at 22.5 per cent.
Last Friday, the Canadian dollar also dropped to its lowest point in two years against the U.S. dollar. Charlebois says if the loonie continues to slide, inflationary pressures could continue well into the winter.
"If our currency continues to drop, guess what's going to happen to imports? They're going to be more costly because our buying power will be backed by a weaker loonie," he said. "There's lots of things that we're concerned about right now and hopefully things will come down. But it is highly unlikely, unfortunately."
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.