Science fiction loves to portray a post collapse US with Americans desperately trying to get into Canada that was of course spared any economic malady due to their universal health care.
Ok as a Canadian I can say that yes our groceries have gone up; but many of those pics are not telling the truth. A lot of the pics came from Nunavit, in the artic where there are no roads and all the groceries are flown in on smallish planes so even before the loonie was trashed the prices up there were obscene.
The rest of us have seen 50 to 60% increases but not $16 cereal....yet.
I can see that, the collapse of global commodities prices has put a pinch on countries that have significant sections of their economy tied into selling such abroad though.
Now shortages are a problem. Our local grocery store was told that because of shortages the supplier would limit produce orders to 80% of what a store ordered in 2015.
I can't plant before May 21st becauae of frost and i have to have the garden in by mid september, though early september frosts happen. Though I live about 5 hours drive north of the border.
In our small town about a third have gardens. Since new years i've had 4 neighbours ask me help them plan their 1st ever garden. People are noticing, but its too late.
You'd be semi right. The cost to get a firearms license, buy a gun and buy a hunting license then buy a tag means that it isn't a cheap way to add meat to your diet.
Now a fishing license is cheaper and less gear.... but i live in the prairies so its not like there are a lot of big lakes.
Let's not panic here. I'm paying $1.49 for a cucumber in Ottawa. I was in Iqaluit, Nunavut in the late '80s and milk was $10 for 4 litres (approx 4 US quarts) and a head of lettuce was $7. The prices in Nunavut (formerly the eastern part of the North West Territory) are high because everything has to be flown in. There are no roads to Baffin Island, which is 1,500 miles north of the nearest major city. Handling any vegetables or fruit that cannot be allowed to freeze is a real problem in -40 temperatures. As soon as you open the cargo door (it's big enough to load a Jeep through) on an airliner the temperature drops to below freezing. The pallet has to be offloaded onto a forklift immediately and hustled into a heated warehouse. Driving a forklift around a multimillion dollar airliner on an icy ramp is best done slowly, of course.
There is a 'Northern Allowance' on the income tax form of several thousand dollars to compensate for the high cost of groceries in the Arctic and there is a Northern Nutritional Program which offers low cargo rates for food shipments.
Ok as a Canadian I can say that yes our groceries have gone up; but many of those pics are not telling the truth. A lot of the pics came from Nunavit, in the artic where there are no roads and all the groceries are flown in on smallish planes so even before the loonie was trashed the prices up there were obscene.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of us have seen 50 to 60% increases but not $16 cereal....yet.
Exile1981
I can see that, the collapse of global commodities prices has put a pinch on countries that have significant sections of their economy tied into selling such abroad though.
DeleteNow shortages are a problem. Our local grocery store was told that because of shortages the supplier would limit produce orders to 80% of what a store ordered in 2015.
DeleteExile1981
Ouch, and most of our neighbors to the north don't have a long growing season for gardening.
DeleteI can't plant before May 21st becauae of frost and i have to have the garden in by mid september, though early september frosts happen. Though I live about 5 hours drive north of the border.
DeleteIn our small town about a third have gardens. Since new years i've had 4 neighbours ask me help them plan their 1st ever garden. People are noticing, but its too late.
Exile1981
Why am I betting there are a few more novice hunters out there too, though with less population density such might be more viable.
DeleteYou'd be semi right. The cost to get a firearms license, buy a gun and buy a hunting license then buy a tag means that it isn't a cheap way to add meat to your diet.
DeleteNow a fishing license is cheaper and less gear.... but i live in the prairies so its not like there are a lot of big lakes.
Exile1981
Let's not panic here. I'm paying $1.49 for a cucumber in Ottawa. I was in Iqaluit, Nunavut in the late '80s and milk was $10 for 4 litres (approx 4 US quarts) and a head of lettuce was $7. The prices in Nunavut (formerly the eastern part of the North West Territory) are high because everything has to be flown in. There are no roads to Baffin Island, which is 1,500 miles north of the nearest major city. Handling any vegetables or fruit that cannot be allowed to freeze is a real problem in -40 temperatures. As soon as you open the cargo door (it's big enough to load a Jeep through) on an airliner the temperature drops to below freezing. The pallet has to be offloaded onto a forklift immediately and hustled into a heated warehouse. Driving a forklift around a multimillion dollar airliner on an icy ramp is best done slowly, of course.
ReplyDeleteThere is a 'Northern Allowance' on the income tax form of several thousand dollars to compensate for the high cost of groceries in the Arctic and there is a Northern Nutritional Program which offers low cargo rates for food shipments.
Al_in_Ottawa
In alberta we are seeing $3 a cuccumber.
DeleteExile1981