Grocery bills in Bruce and Grey counties are slightly higher this year, but the pace of price increases has slowed.
According to the annual Grey Bruce Public Health Food affordability report, grocery prices in the region increased by about one per cent in 2024.
Grey Bruce Public Health Program Manager Jason Weppler says their annual report comes after dietitians went out in May to 12 grocery stores in the region to analyze the cost of 61 standard food items.
“We know that the price of food over the last year has increased by one per cent, which isn’t a huge increase, but year over year, this cost continues to rise and we know this is causing challenges for a lot of individuals and families in our community to be able to afford good, nutritious, and healthy food on a regular basis,” says Weppler.
Based on the figures collected, the report found the cost of groceries for a family of four in the region in 2024 is equivalent to $289 a week, or $1,250 a month. A single adult, however, will spend about $314 a month, which is also a one per cent increase from 2023.
“One per cent is actually less than we have seen historically. Coming out of the pandemic, we were seeing numbers greater than that in the two or three per cent range. Even though this one per cent doesn’t sound like it is too onerous, it is concerning for a lot of families, and we do know that about one in five Grey Bruce families are living in a food insecure environment, so a one per cent increase can be challenging,” says Weppler.
A release from Public Health adds: “Single individuals on Ontario Works are unable to meet core needs of housing and food as more than 100 per cent of their income is required for housing alone (107 per cent), with nothing left to cover the $434 needed for food each month.”
Weppler says the increase is in line with cost of inflation they have seen in other areas.
“The primary concern is just for those families who are living in those food insecure environments. We do know that being food insecure can have a lot of detrimental effects to the health of individuals living in those types of environments. Some mental health, to depression, to anxiety, to poor physical health,” says Weppler.
He says public health has been working with local organizations to appeal to the provincial and federal governments for support to help those in need.