NDP calls for action on rising food prices

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This article was published 07/07/2022 (805 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cantor’s Quality Meats and Groceries cashier Lacey Gould has increasingly witnessed customers express their frustration at the till.

“A lot of our regulars come in and they’re like, ‘Oh, well last month it wasn’t this much, why is my bill so high?’” Gould said. “Our regulars aren’t buying as much as they used to.”

Like many Manitobans, Gould has been feeling the pinch of inflation. Gould used to spend around $300 a month on groceries for her household of five, but now spends upwards of $450-500.

“We’re noticing a big difference,” Gould said. “It’s pretty stressful on our budget.”

On Friday, NDP Leader Wab Kinew was at the Logan Avenue grocery store to shine a light on rising food prices, calling for the creation of an all-party committee to help fight inflation.

“This is something that affects everybody. It affects low-income folks, but it affects people of all incomes, too,” Kinew said. “Let’s work across the party lines all summer long and find ways to make life more affordable.”

Kinew said he hopes the committee will strike a middle ground between producers, retailers and consumers. Having a variety of voices at the table will bring forth multiple solutions, Kinew said.

“When we’re talking to dairy producers, we’re looking at maybe some ag insurance programs. When we’re looking at some of the meat prices, maybe we’re looking to talk to the big corporations in the middle, standing between the butcher and the producer,” Kinew said.

Cantor’s is one of many grocers in Winnipeg that have felt the impact of inflation.

Ed Cantor, the owner of the grocery store and deli, said inflation has been hard on both the store and customers.

“People are going from place to place to place to save money. We’re trying… to do 10 per cent off twice a month,” Cantor said.

Though Cantor hopes the discount helps his customers save some money, he knows he can’t solve the issue himself. He told the Free Press that he hopes the provincial government provides more social services and assistance to those in need.

Some non-profit organizations, like Fireweed Food Co-op, have been working to help make local food more affordable and accessible to Manitobans. The co-op currently collects excess stock from local farmers and delivers it to those in need through their waste not food program.

Laura Pelser, Fireweed’s communications co-ordinator, said inflation and food insecurity are deeply intertwined.

“Any change with food prices or necessities affects the most vulnerable people the most, and so that means people are leaning more on resources,” Pelser said. “The difference (in prices) from last summer to this summer is quite extensive.”

Aside from promoting sustainable practices, shopping local shortens the food supply chain that racks up transportation costs, which can make products more expensive. For this reason, Pelser said the differences between local and imported food prices have become closer to equal.

“In a time where inflation and food prices are going crazy, we can see that the local food system has the ability to be more resilient,” Pelser said.

Kinew believes that inflation is an issue that all political parties in Manitoba care about and must work together to combat.

“Our request is pretty simple. Let’s put the politics aside. Let’s put the partisanship aside. Let’s get to work at this all-party committee,” Kinew said.

A spokesperson for Premier Heather Stefanson said in a statement Friday the province is exploring “other measures” to provide Manitobans with financial relief, while also pointing to the province’s education property tax rebate and renters tax credit. 

The spokesperson said Stefanson will be meeting with Canada’s premiers next week to discuss health care, inflation and economic renewal.

cierra.bettens@freepress.mb.ca