National

Champagne, Freeland meet with grocery executives to discuss stabilizing price

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 18 Sep, 2023 10:54 AM

Top executives from Canada's major grocery chains are in Ottawa this morning to meet with two federal cabinet ministers and discuss measures to stabilize grocery prices.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne are set to meet with executives from Loblaw, Metro, Empire, Walmart and Costco this morning.

Canadians are struggling with the increased cost of living, and in particular the price of food.

That’s why, this morning, I will be meeting with the CEOs of the 5 largest grocery chains to discuss concrete solutions to stabilize food prices.
— François-Philippe Champagne (FPC) 🇨🇦 (@FP_Champagne) September 18, 2023

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last week that the federal government is asking major Canadian grocers to come up with a plan by Thanksgiving to stabilize prices.

Trudeau warned that if the plan is not good enough, Ottawa will take further action — and the government is not ruling anything out, including tax measures.

The call comes as grocery prices rose 8.5 per cent year-over-year in July, showing a slight easing of price growth but still running much hotter than overall inflation at 3.3 per cent.

The Retail Council of Canada said in a statement last week that grocer prices profits have nothing to do with the rising cost of food, pointing instead to higher costs being passed on from food manufacturers and producers.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Watering of trees needed in Surrey

The city says in a statement that staff are focused on watering newly planted trees, but older trees along Surrey streets - 86 thousand in total - also need watering during the warm weather.

Watering of trees needed in Surrey

BC United takes aim at Province over high cost of living for BC residents

The opposition says a new report by accounting firm M-N-P shows 52 per cent of British Columbians are just 200 dollars away from insolvency in a province with some of the highest rents and gas prices in North America.

BC United takes aim at Province over high cost of living for BC residents

Pair arrested for gun and drug offences

North Vancouver R-C-M-P say they stopped a Volkswagen after officers spotted it travelling the wrong direction on a one-way road at one A-M last Friday. Police say they stopped the vehicle and the driver got out and ran away before being arrested after a 10-minute chase.

Pair arrested for gun and drug offences

Thousands of B.C. families will see an increase in government family benefit plan

The monthly benefit payment from the province goes to families with annual earnings below $106,908 for those with one child and $143,783 for a three-child family. Funding goes up this month by $250 a year for a two-parent family of four and as much as $750 for a single-parent family with two children.

Thousands of B.C. families will see an increase in government family benefit plan

Inflation rate fell to 2.8 per cent in June

The inflation rate fell to 2.8 per cent in June, but Statistics Canada is also reporting grocery prices shot up 9.1 per cent from year-ago levels. That's even more than prices rose in May.

Inflation rate fell to 2.8 per cent in June

Record wildfire season in B.C. for area burned with almost 400 fires in the province

The B.C. Wildfire Service website says 13,935 square kilometres have been burned since April 1, surpassing the previous record of 13,543 square kilometres set in 2018. But there are still months to go in this year's season and the service says there are almost 400 fires currently burning.