As a concerned citizen, I am deeply troubled by the escalating food prices in Canada.

An estimated 8.5 million of our fellow residents are forced to access food banks each month, and many more who need it simply don't have access to these resources. This has led to widespread food insecurity and malnourishment in our own country. This issue is becoming particularly detrimental among children in the North who lack fresh foods.

Since November 2022, the food inflation rate hit an alarming 11.4% - the fastest year-over-year increase since 1981 - with some items experiencing over a 20% price increase and no sign of price decline. These costs do not reflect inflation; they reflect greed.

Food should not be a luxury; it is a necessity for survival and health. It is unacceptable that these increases are driving middle-class Canadians into lower-class status due to unaffordable costs of living in Canada.

We call on our government officials and policymakers to take immediate action against this crisis by implementing measures that will make groceries affordable for all residents of Canada, regardless of their income or location.  In this petition, we also call on all major Grocers, as they are the ones that need to drop their prices.

If prices are not dropped within a negotiated time frame, the Federal and Provincial Governments should be charging the Grocers. This charge should come at no hit to the consumer, should the Grocer be penalized for a lack of price reduction in the given time frame.

As per the Centre for Future Work, profits in the Canadian grocery sector will likely exceed $6 billion in 2023, setting a record of an all-time high as they rise eight percent from last year.

The report quotes Stats Canada data, detailing that the net income margin on food and beverage retailing has consistently exceeded three percent of total revenues since mid-2021, which is more than double the average margin between 2015 and 2019.

These stats prove that Grocers have been DOUBLING their profits since before the pandemic, preying on Canadian families who are simply trying to feed their families and survive after some very devastating years; mentally & physically. 

The one-time Grocery Rebate offered by the federal government is not a long-term solution to allow for all Canadian Residents to purchase groceries at a more affordable cost. It's being offered to low-income families that are already finding it impossible to survive on their incomes. This rebate doesn't even cover the tax increase on the inflation prices within a year, let alone cover the grocery cost increases themselves.

In this petition, I also call on the Provincial, Territorial, and Federal Governments to do their part to help Canadians by waiving GST and provincial tax on all grocery items, labelling them as basic necessities.

Please sign this petition if you believe in making groceries affordable for all Canadians!