Northern Food Basket

Food is shipped under the Food Mail Program from Yellowknife to communities in the Sahtu Region and Holman, and from Inuvik to other communities in the Beaufort-Delta Region. These regions became eligible for Food Mail service in October 1991. Wholesalers are located in Edmonton.

For all communities in the Northwest Territories, the cost of the basket is based on the lowest price available in the community for each item in the basket, using a specific purchase size and, for most products, a specific brand. However, the number of stores varies from one community to another and, in some communities, the number of stores has changed over the years. Since 1994, the results in Yellowknife are based on prices in one supermarket. For Edmonton, the cost is based on prices in one supermarket.

Price surveys were conducted in June 1990, September 1991, June 1992, June 1993 (except Yellowknife in February), June 1995, October 1996, January 1998, August 2000, October 2001, October 2002 and October 2003. In 2004, surveys were conducted in March and April. In January 2005, surveys were completed in Edmonton and Yellowknife while other surveys conducted that year were done in October. Figures shown for Yellowknife in 1994 are actually for December 1993, since the first survey conducted in Yellowknife in 1993 was in February, and no surveys were conducted there in 1994. In 2006, price surveys were conducted in March in Edmonton and Yellowknife.

The postage rate for perishable food shipped to isolated communities in the Northwest Territories was reduced from $1.50 per kilogram to $1.20 per kilogram on October 1, 1992 and to $0.80 per kilogram on July 1, 1993. The rate for perishable food shipped to communities in the Beaufort-Delta Region served from Inuvik (Aklavik, Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk and Sachs Harbour) was reduced from $0.80 per kilogram to $0.30 per kilogram on January 1, 2001. However, retailers in Aklavik do not use the Food Mail Program.

Weekly cost of the Northern Food Basket for a family of four, 1990-2006

Updated
06/13/2006

Weekly cost of perishables in the Northern Food Basket for a family of four, 1990-2006

Updated
06/13/2006

Weekly cost of non-perishables in the Northern Food Basket for a family of four, 1990-2006

Updated
06/13/2006

Cost of the Northern Food Basket in selected communities in the Northwest Territories and Edmonton, Alberta since 1990 (PDF 8 Kb) in PDF format.

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