Inflation is slowing, but not at the grocery stores—and food banks are bearing the brunt

Good morning ,

You made it. It’s Friday. To kick off the weekend, we’re announcing the winner of our Ballad of the Motherland ticket giveaway. Thank you to everyone who entered, it was lovely getting to read all of your emails. The winner is…Shirley! Congratulations and enjoy the show. Stay tuned for more Coast giveaways in the future.

If you’re not Shirley and would still like to attend the Neptune Theatre show, you can purchase tickets here. Have a great weekend!

STICKER SHOCK

Inflation is slowing, but not at the grocery stores—and food banks are bearing the brunt

A $100 grocery bill ain’t what it used to be. Per Statistics Canada’s latest report on food prices, the cost of groceries in Nova Scotia continued to climb in February, up 0.6% from January—or the equivalent of 60 cents on a $100 grocery bill. Year-over-year, that same $100 grocery bill has gone up by $10.30 since last February. And while some items—including meat prices—dropped from January to February, other staples have gotten more expensive: Fish, cheese, eggs, fruit and cereal products all saw price increases last month.

As grocery prices have climbed, so too has the number of Nova Scotians struggling at the checkout line:

• According to Feed Nova Scotia, which distributes food to food banks, meal programs and shelters across the province, roughly one in six Nova Scotia households are food insecure.

• Last year, 46,000 Nova Scotians sought support from food banks. In 2021, that number was closer to 37,400.

And while the province’s population is on the rise—in 2022, Nova Scotia cracked the million mark for the first time in its history—the demand for food support has well exceeded the province’s growth.

Need to know

☁️ Today's weather: Cloudy with a high of 5C and a low of -4C.

💰Nova Scotia’s 2023-24 budget was released yesterday, and healthcare is at the forefront. Read the details.

🐱 Pours for Paws is happening this Saturday! Support Bide Awhile Animal Shelter and sample some of Nova Scotia’s finest beverage providers. Tickets available here!*

🚍 Starting at 6:30pm on Saturday, Halifax Transit data will be offline for about 6.5 hours. This means there will be no terminal wifi, departure boards or other bus route apps working.

*Sponsored Post

DREAM TEAMS

Your ultimate burger and beer pairing guide

Nothing suits a patty and buns like some bubbly suds. Yup, burgers and beer go together like peas and carrots, like Batman and Robin, like… like a local brewery and a cherished food event. The Coast and Garrison Brewing are thrilled to be working together on the 2023 Burger Bash—it’s a perfect match.

To help your discovery, we sat down with the brewery crew to talk about what Garrison products pair best with the multitude of tastes on offer at Burger Bash.

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That’s a shipload of hops

This year during Halifax Burger Bash, you could win beer for a year from Garrison Brewing.

From March 23 to April 1, get out to at least three Halifax Burger Bash locations and have your server stamp on their restaurant’s description in the Burger Bash passport. Once you gain three or more stamps, drop your passport in a Halifax Burger Bash ballot box at any of the restaurants.

Find out how you can get bonus entries to win!

On The Coast

In other news

🦞 A new study from Dartmouth’s Centre for Marine Applied Research found that lobster in Atlantic Canada may be coping and adapting to the warming ocean water. Find out how.

🪵 It’s been half a year since Fiona hit Nova Scotia and there are still no concrete plans on what to do with the piles of wood waste across the province. CTV has the story.

📹 An HRM convenience store shared unbelievable surveillance footage of what the owner says was attempted arson.

📚 The Halifax Public Gardens is now accepting Suellen Murray Education Bursary applications until April 30.

🧑‍⚖️ The bail hearing for the 15-year-old Bedford student who is being charged with attempted murder in the stabbing of two teachers has been pushed to a later date. Since the incident, Halifax students have been calling for more accessible mental health resources.

🪪 SimplyGoodForm is hosting a free Gender Marker and Name Change Clinic next Friday, March 31 in partnership with Dalhousie Legal Aid, Mental Health NS, Halifax Public Libraries and Mount Saint Vincent University. Register here.

🌳 An 1850s map of Point Pleasant Park shows just how much the area has succumbed to erosion. Researchers estimate that 10 metres of land has been lost at Point Pleasant in the past 170 years. CBC has the story.

💳 With the cost of living in Canada continuously on the rise, Canadian credit card debt has also seen a substantial bump: a 14% increase since 2021 with no signs of dropping.

🇨🇦 Oh Canada! A new Angus Reid Poll finds that Canadians take more pride in their country compared to Americans.

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Your local news online—anytime

Watch Global News Halifax live and on demand with the Global TV App or on GlobalNews.ca.

24/7 national and international news is right at your fingertips, plus your local Global News Morning from 6 to10am Monday to Friday, with Global News at 6 and Global News at 11 every day of the week.

Watch here.

Things to do

Looking for something to do when you’re not eating burgers this week? Check out these Coast picks:

🎵 The Tragically Hip Tribute: Head to the Marquee Ballroom for The Fabulously Rich, a night dedicated to The Tragically Hip | Mar. 25 | 9pm | $20-$30.

💭 Golden Girls Trivia: Serpent Brewing is hosting a trivia night for the classic comedy series The Golden Girls | Mar. 26 | 6:30pm | Free.

🖼 Circumstantial Portraits: Check out Studio 21 Fine Art’s ongoing exhibit Circumstantial Portraits by Margarita Fainshtein | Tues-Sat. until Mar. 28 | Free.

Find more Halifax events in The Coast listings

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