Viral video highlights grocery costs in Northern Canada

A TikTok video documenting grocery prices at a NorthMart in a remote northern community has drawn more than 17 million views in 48 hours, renewing attention on the cost of food in Northern Canada.

Creator @kopke613, who has been sharing a cross-Canada road trip, recorded prices including $14.49 for two litres of Beatrice chocolate milk, $42.10 for four chicken breasts, $24.09 for a near-four-litre jug of SunRype apple juice and $32 for a 24-pack of No Name bottled water.

The article compared those prices with listings elsewhere in Canada, including chocolate milk for $4.99 in Ontario, a four-pack of chicken breasts for $12.16 at a Calgary Walmart and the same case of bottled water for $3 at stores in Ontario and Calgary. Other items in the video included an $11.29 pineapple, an $11.49 bag of celery and a $9 two-litre bottle of Coca-Cola.

High grocery costs have long been a reality in many northern and Indigenous communities. Harsh climates limit local food production, and many communities lack permanent road connections. Groceries may need to travel long distances or be flown in, while smaller populations and limited retail competition add to operating costs.

A recent Dalhousie University food report cited by the article projected that a Canadian family of four could spend an average of $17,571.79 on food this year, up as much as $994.63 from the previous year, with food prices expected to rise four to six per cent.