Food prices surge pushes Canadians to seek free groceries as demand rises in Calgary

Rising food prices are forcing more Canadians to seek support, with thousands lining up for free groceries in Calgary.

According to CTV News, at a distribution event run by the Guru Nanak Free Kitchen, volunteers handed out around 80,000 pounds of potatoes along with other essentials. The queue stretched for blocks, with some people waiting over an hour.

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Evan Godfrey told CTV News: “The lineup’s impressive. I think there’s a lot of people that are kind of on harder times. The cost of groceries has basically doubled, compared to most of my other bills.”

Volunteers say demand is growing beyond those traditionally reliant on food aid. Darshan Khunkhun said to the outlet: “For some people, this is absolutely necessary. For other people it may not be absolutely necessary, but what it does is it gives them this little bit of flexibility.”

Data from Statistics Canada shows grocery prices rose 4.4 per cent year on year.

Economist Moshe Lander said to CTV: “If you take a look at the data, our income has been lagging behind inflation for years. That’s where the problem lies.”

Officials say efforts are under way to address affordability concerns.