“Excluding gasoline, the CPI rose 4.1 per cent, edging up from 4.0 per cent in June,” the CPI, released Tuesday, states.
The CPI shows a 3.3 per cent year-over-year increase in July, due to factors including electricity prices in Alberta, which rose 127.8 per cent, and mortgage interest costs, which saw a 30.6 per cent gain.
According to the data, the cost of groceries rose 8.5 per cent in July, after a 9.1 per cent increase in June.
“Slower price growth was due mainly to prices for fresh fruit and, to a lesser extent, bakery products,” the report reads.
While some products decreased in price, other items were more expensive in July, including pasta, frozen and dried vegetables and fruit juice.
HIGHEST PRICE INCREASES
Pasta products had the largest increase in cost out of all food products monitored between June and July.
The price skyrocketed 10.1 per cent month-to-month, with a year-over-year inflation rate of 17.1 per cent.
The largest year-over-year difference for a product in July was frozen and dried vegetables, which cost 18.1 per cent more. The products also saw a 5.1 per cent increase in price from June.
This is a contrast to the fresh vegetables category, which includes carrots, peppers, cucumbers and mushrooms. These items saw a smaller, 3.5 per cent increase in price. Year-over-year the inflation rate remained high, at 14.2 per cent.
Fruit juice climbed 5 per cent in price between June and July. Year-over-year the inflation rate landed at 15.9 per cent.
Tomatoes saw a 5.4 per cent jump in price between June and July. This resulted in an overall inflation rate of 14.1 per cent year-over-year.
Fresh and frozen chicken rose 3.6 per cent in price between June and July, the data shows. Year-over-year, shoppers paid 14.3 per cent more.
INFLATION SLOWING FOR SOME PRODUCTS
While many prices went up, some grocery items did drop in price from June to July.
Lettuce had the largest drop of any product month-to-month, with a price decrease of 11.5 per cent. Year-over-year the item’s rate was still high, at 14.4 per cent.
Edible oils and fats decreased in price by 0.7 per cent from June to July, resulting in a year-over-year inflation rate of 15.5 per cent.
StatCan says prices for fresh fruit other than cherries and berries, and bakery products, aided the slowdown in grocery inflation.
“Prices for fresh fruit rose 4.1 per cent in July, following a 10.4 per cent increase in June,” the CPI says. “The deceleration was driven by the largest month-over-month decline (-6.5 per cent) since February 2008.”
The fresh fruit category that includes cherries and berries shows a 2.9 per cent decrease in price in July, from June.
A major decline in the price of grapes, which cost 40.9 per cent less in July, helped cool inflation.
Shoppers buying oranges paid 1.8 per cent less in July than in June.
Butter dropped 1.6 per cent in price month-to-month. From July 2022 to July 2023, the product had an inflation rate of 7.3 per cent, so even with the decrease, shoppers are paying more for butter than they did a year ago.
Bananas had a small decrease in price from June to July, at just 0.1 per cent, but they remain one of the most affordable foods, with a 0.6 per cent year-over-year inflation rate.
MONTREAL – Quebec’s ombudsperson is warning that public services are becoming “dehumanized” in the province amid a rise in demand for them.
Marc-André Dowd released his annual report today, which highlights several examples of people receiving inadequate care across the health network in the 12 months leading to March 31.
One dying man who lived alone was denied help cleaning his cat’s litter box by his local health clinic, a service Dowd says should have been given for “humanitarian reasons.”
Dowd also describes staff at a long-term care home feeding residents “mechanically” and talking among each other — despite health ministry guidelines directing staff to maintain eye contact with residents.
The ombudsperson says his office received a record number of problems to investigate across the province’s public services — 24,867 compared with 22,053 last year.
He says his office investigated 13,358 cases between April 2023 and March of this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Canada next week after a planned trip in July was cancelled amid political turmoil in France.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a statement today that Macron will be in Canada Wednesday and Thursday after the leaders attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Trudeau will welcome Macron in Ottawa on Wednesday, where they are expected to discuss collaboration on geopolitical issues including their ongoing support for Ukraine.
They are also expected to discuss ways to strengthen the response to emerging threats, such as disinformation.
In Montreal, Trudeau intends to show off the city’s artificial intelligence sector, while both countries reaffirm their commitment to work with counterparts on responsible use of AI.
The leaders will also discuss promoting the French language ahead of the Francophonie summit being held in France next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Health Canada has authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.
The protein-based vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, has been reformulated to target the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron.
It will replace the previous version of the vaccine, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron.
Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season.
Earlier this week, Health Canada approved Moderna’s updated mRNA COVID vaccine.
It is still reviewing Pfizer’s updated mRNA vaccine, with a decision expected soon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously described the Novavax vaccine as an mRNA shot.
