$28 cabbage, $65 chicken, and other insane food prices in Northern Canada
June 11, 2012It’s not just food, either — necessary sundries like diapers and sanitary napkins are also outrageously expensive. According to one comment on the Facebook group, it’s often more cost-effective to fly to Edmonton, Alberta, do your shopping there, and fly home. (That alone is a pretty good indication that shipping costs are not exclusively to blame.) Meanwhile, a family of four on social assistance in Nunavut would get about $275 to $325 a week for food.
Nunavut residents protested outside their local stores on Saturday, and some are reporting price changes as stores have been shamed into cutting back on their price gouging — at least temporarily. One resident reports on Facebook: “Bought an avocado for 1.99,(was 5.99 for one) green onions 2.19, cranberry juice 4.99 from 18.99.” We’ll see how long that lasts.
There’s a Change.org petition about addressing food insecurity in Nunavut, if you need something to do with your impotent rage, and the Iqaluit food bank is probably taking donations.