Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Amid the ongoing contaminated water crisis in Nunavut's capital city, the impact of another crisis is hitting some residents extremely hard.
Grocery items are often two to three times more expensive than they are in southern Canada, and despite the federal government's subsidy program, Nunavut residents are still left paying exorbitant prices.
Iqaluit resident Kyra Flaherty's TikTok videos have gained widespread attention for documenting some of these prices.
"I try my best to bring awareness to the situation through TikTok," Flaherty told CTV National News. "I think the first step that we need to take in order for there to be change is for not just Nunavut, but all of Canada to be aware of what's going on."
Some of the prices seen on Flaherty's TikTok include $10.99 for a dozen eggs, $12.89 for a jug of chocolate milk and even $17.99 for a box of cookies advertised at 50 per cent off. Flaherty says she spends upwards of $1,000 a week on groceries.
Since there are no roads connecting Nunavut to the rest of Canada, groceries have to be flown in or shipped in, leading to high prices for consumers.
On top of that, Iqaluit also has some of Canada's most expensive housing. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $2,736, far exceeding rent prices in Toronto and Vancouver.
As a result, nearly 70 per cent of Nunavut residents are food insecure, according to the Nunavut Food Security Coalition.
Since last week Tuesday, Iqaluit residents have been relying on airlifted bottled water after the city found that the tap water had been contaminated with fuel.
The Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre in Iqaluit, which feeds hundreds of people per day, has seen more people use its services since the start of the water crisis. Rachel Blais, who is the food centre's executive director, says the water crisis has only worsened the ongoing food insecurity crisis.
"Even if they have access to healthy affordable food, if they don't have clean water to wash their produce with or to cook, they're not able to cook healthy meals," Blais told CTV National News.
Back in 2011, the federal government launched the Nutrition North program, a subsidy program aimed at making groceries more affordable for remote communities in the Arctic. The feds are promising to strengthen the program, pledging more than $163 million over the next three years.
Northern Affairs says it’s committed to ensuring its food subsidy is passed onto consumers. But Blais says the program needs more oversight.
"The subsidies go directly to the retailers and there doesn't seem to be a lot of transparency about exactly how those funds are used and if it's passed on to consumers," she said.
As for Flaherty, she worries about what future her three-year-old son will have in the Arctic.
"I feel like people aren't being heard here and people aren't being taken seriously," she said.
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
B.C. resident Robert Conrad spent thousands of hours on Crown land developing an unusual bond with deer.
A Sudbury woman said her husband was bringing the recycling out to the curb Wednesday night when he had to make a 'mad dash' inside after seeing a bear.