Overall, groceries are cheaper than I was expecting. This is mostly due to the Nutrition North Canada subsidy.
“Nutrition North Canada (NNC) is a Government of Canada subsidy program launched on April 1, 2011 to bring healthy food to isolated Northern communities. NNC works with stores across the North and food suppliers in southern Canada to ensure Northerners have better access to perishable nutritious food. It is part of the Government of Canada’s Northern Strategy.
NNC subsidizes:
– a variety of perishable and nutritious food items (fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs, meat and cheese) shipped by air to an eligible community
– “country” or traditional food commercially-processed in the North such as Arctic char, musk-ox and caribou (important sources of nutrients) shipped by air to an eligible community”
http://www.nutritionnorthcanada.gc.ca/eng/1415538638170/1415538670874
Here are some sample prices from the store:
- Eggs: $6 for 18 eggs (NNC subsidy of $3.16)
- Milk: $2.70 for 1L (NNC subsidy of $3.11) or $8.90 for 4L (NNC subsidy of $12.25)
- Butter: $7 for 454g/1lb (NNC subsidy of $0.42)
- Bread: $5.75 for a loaf of decent bread (NNC subsidy of $2.09)
- Cheese: $15.50 for 600g (NNC subsidy of $1.70)
- Lettuce: $3.40 for two romaine heads (NNC subsidy of $1.63)
- Tomatoes: $1.30 for two (275g) (NNC subsidy of $0.83)
- Onions: $1.60 for one (310g) (NNC subsidy of $0.87)
- Potatoes: $6.75 for 5lbs (NNC subsidy of $6.25)
- Yogurt: $4.20 for 750g (NNC subsidy of $2.45)
- Bacon: $7 for 375g (NNC subsidy of $0.37)
- Pasta: $2.60 for 454g
- Sausages: $7 for five (NNC subsidy of $1.44)
- Meat: $30 for a box of frozen meats including 8 sausages, 8 hamburgers, 6 pork chops, 16 hot dogs (NNC subsidy of $7.83)
- Soda: $6.50 for one of those 591mL bottles
- Flour: $40 for a 10kg bag
The variety of canned, packaged, and frozen foods is pretty good. Obviously not the same as a big city grocery store, but there is nothing noticeably lacking, and even some ethnic foods. The produce section is very limited – some longer-shelf life fruits and veg, often a bit beaten up. Apparently the locals learn when the supply truck/barge/plane is coming in and go to the shop that day to get the freshest stuff. In any case, I suspect my diet will see a reduction in fruit and vegetable consumption, along with a significant increase in meat consumption.