As many of you get ready to cook Thanksgiving dinners this weekend, you won’t be surprised to learn grocery prices continue to climb. Food costs have been outpacing overall inflation for more than a year now, according to Statistics Canada. It puts a lot of pressure on shoppers and businesses alike. Statistics Canada says food prices on average increased by three per cent year over year in August. “We’re seeing a substantial increase in grocery prices, whether it’s produce or imported goods,” said Yousef Traya, owner at Bridgeland Market. “All around, there is an increase. “I’ve seen anywhere from five to 10 per cent on average, but sometimes some stuff is 20 to 30 (per cent).” Beef rose 11 per cent. Other meats outside poultry are sitting at a close to nine per cent increase. “The way I shop is very much focused on, ‘Oh, there’s a good deal over there—I’ll buy that.’ Then, when I get home, it’s, ‘I got these things—how can I turn that into a dinner,” said shopper Barend Dronkers. “I’ll still buy the general food groups and try to eat healthy. “I’ve generally always tried to approach grocery shopping this way. Maybe I’ve eaten a little bit less meat as a result of rising prices.” Diesel prices play a large part in driving these increases, up about 70 per cent since the war started in Iran. Tariffs are also making life more expensive. “We’re already getting emails from a lot of the shipping companies. A lot of the warehouses and wholesalers are saying, ‘Hey, our fuel surcharges have gone up,’” said Traya. “We’ve slowly increased our prices, tried not to drastically increase them and tried to find deals out there for them to try to offset the costs of certain things. “It’s a very expensive year for a lot of people to feed families—to buy groceries and basic necessities.” The Calgary Food Bank is also seeing the impact. “We see it at the client level and what they’re experiencing, but also, as an organization providing emergency food support, we’re spending close to $10 million every year on food,” said Melissa From, CEO at Calgary Food Bank. “The third way we really see it is how it’s reflected in our donations. “Donations are down, because I think everyday Calgarians are having to make tough choices when they go to the grocery store.” Since 2023, the need at the food bank has more than doubled, going from 400 families to 1,000 families per day. From said 29 per cent of people who use the food bank today have full-time employment. “At the end of the day, they’re simply not earning enough to cover their costs,” said From. The food bank recently collected 475,000 pounds of food during its annual City-Wide Food Drive. That sounds like a lot, but the food bank goes through two million pounds of food a month. There is a walk to support the food bank this Thanksgiving long weekend—on Monday at 10 a.m. at Eau Claire Plaza.
