Rising grocery costs hit Ottawa families ahead of Easter

With preparations underway for Easter dinner, CTV News Ottawa looks at the cost to buy some staples of the holiday meal. CTV’s Dave Charbonneau reports.

With Easter dinner just days away, many Canadians are feeling the effects of rising grocery prices. In Ottawa, inflation is running higher than the national average.

“A lot of the food that I buy now has gone up like 30, 35 per cent. Some cases, 40 per cent, which is a little bit outrageous,” said Terry McDonald, a grocery shopper in Ottawa.

“I’m not really convinced that the inventory they just received is at that price. But, you know, who knows?” McDonald said.

Inflation is taking a bite out of grocery bills. Ottawa’s rate for March was 2.7 per cent, higher than the national average of 2.3 per cent.

That’s why many shoppers are hunting for Easter deals.

“I usually bought when things were on sale,” said shopper Joan Fonzo. “Like the gravy is on sale, bought that. Two weeks ago, I got this stuffing, it was on sale. My sister donated the turkey, so all is great.”

Last year, CTV News Ottawa compared the prices of three common Easter items at Loblaws and Walmart.

This year, the same comparison was made between No Frills and FreshCo to find the better deal on a five-kilogram ham and some Easter chocolate.

Regardless of which store came out cheaper, food experts say some items are still reasonably priced despite overall increases.

“Ham is about five per cent more expensive than last year, but the average increase at the meat counter is over 10 per cent,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. “So, pork remains a very affordable option.”

At No Frills, a 4.6 kg spiral ham was $50.69, or $11/kg. The chocolate bunny was $5.99, and the mini eggs were $18.99, for a total of $75.76 before tax.

At FreshCo, a 4.6 kg shank ham cost $20.57, or $4.39/kg. The bunny was $5.49, and the mini eggs were $16.99, bringing the total to $43.05. That’s a savings of $32.71.

Similar items in 2024 were $50.24 at Loblaws and $35.93 at Walmart.

There’s also shrinkflation. Last year, the bag of mini eggs was 943 grams. This year, it’s 875 grams.

“Everything is really expensive. Yeah, even like Easter bunnies and stuff. Ten bucks to get one,” said shopper Tish Barr.

Many shoppers say they’re frustrated with the rising cost of food.

“It’s over the top. I just put back a small bag of grapes. When I went through the cash, they were $18,” said Georgeanne Baker.

Others say it’s manageable.

“It’s not that bad really, no. I spent $150. I got a lot of stuff,” said Santa Genio.

As for Easter chocolate, some bunnies might remain on store shelves this year.

“Six dollars for a little bunny. It was never like that growing up,” said Fonzo. “No, I wouldn’t buy it. No, no, no.”