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By Caden Fanshaw

Grocery Rebate

Federal grocery rebate comes as demand soars for local food banks

Jul 5, 2023 | 5:37 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — Roughly 11 million Canadians will receive a top-up from the federal government this week for groceries.

The grocery rebate comes at a time when more people across the country continue to use food banks a trend being seen here in Prince George as well.

“We’re seeing about 300 new individuals coming into our food banks within the last six months,” said Terra Laflamme, Community Ministries Supervisor.

Prince George has bucked the trend for children using a food bank, about 10% above the national average of 25% of users being youth under 18 years of age. This could be a result of a few things including a larger family size.

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Food systems expert Dr. David Connell a Professor at the University of Northern BC said the grocery rebate is good and comes at a time of need for many across the country. He added what goes into food prices is still a bit of a mystery, getting food from a farmer to your table can involve a long list of factors.

As for if prices will ever fall, Connell said don’t necessarily count on it if history bodes true.

“What has decreased over the past many decades is the proportion of a household budget that’s spent on food,” said Connell. “We often talk about a cheap food policy. So it’s not necessarily food getting cheaper, but certainly becoming less of a burden on a particular household. This is where the greatest burden is for lower-income households.”

Here’s how the Canada Revenue Agency calculates your rebate:

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Twitter: @CadenFanshaw

Email: Caden.Fanshaw@pattisonmedia.com