Gas, food prices on the rise in Sask.
The cost to fill up your tank and your grocery cart is on the rise in Saskatchewan.
In Regina, gas prices jumped approximately seven cents overnight, to an average of $1.382 per litre. In Saskatoon, the average gas price is $1.36 per litre.
According GasBuddy, the rise in the cost of gas is due to swelling oil prices over the past week and a half. The price of oil is now at it’s highest level in seven years.
“There’s been kind of a looming energy crunch that’s been developing globally. And much of it is probably due to COVID-19,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.
DeHann said disruptions in supply chains have lead to a drop in China’s coal inventory, and a natural gas shortage in Europe has driven the price of that commodity higher.
“And all of that has sent another form of energy, crude oil — which can be used to back up both of those — (to) accelerating prices as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, the price of food is also going up. According to the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, meat, dairy and other groceries have increased in recent months. On average, food is five per cent more expensive than it was this time last year.
“The ongoing pandemic has continued to disrupt shipping patterns from trading partners. And not just commodities, but things like packaging,” said Janet Music, the Agri-Food Analytics Lab research program coordinator.
Music said adverse weather events have also impacted prices.
“Droughts in the prairies cause farmers to shrink their herds a bit, which has resulted in really high meat prices at the meat counter. Some cuts are 30 per cent more,” she said. “Wildfires in California disrupts where produce comes from.”
The packaging shortage means the ‘centre of the store’ items will also cost consumers more.
“Cookies and oils and noodles, those things have really increased in price,” said Music. “They’re staples and generally speaking, we can’t cook without them.”
According to Music, the end of the pandemic should help the ‘bottlenecking’ at shipping ports. However, she said it’s hard to predict when, or even if, adverse weather events will stop.
“I think it’s safe to say that five per cent is going to be normal right up through Christmas,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
WATCH LIVE | Johnston calls allegations of bias 'quite simply false' as MPs question him on foreign interference role
Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference David Johnston calls the allegations swirling around his objectivity 'quite simply false,' and said Tuesday he plans to push ahead with his work, launching public hearings next month

Poilievre calls on Liberals to make killers like Bernardo stay in max-security prison
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should see to it that mass murderers serve their entire sentences in maximum-security prison.
What's behind the increase in orca-human interactions, boat attacks? Here’s what an expert thinks
The number of interactions between killer whales and humans has increased alarmingly in recent years. CTVNews.ca asked an expert to explain the reasons behind the increase in interactions, explore the types of encounters, and examine the implications for both humans and killer whales.
PGA Tour agrees to merge with Saudi-backed LIV Golf
The PGA Tour ended its expensive fight with Saudi Arabia's golf venture and now is joining forces with it, making a stunning announcement Tuesday of a merger that creates a commercial operation with the Public Investment Fund and the European tour.
Internal docs suggest Trudeau wants China blocked from Pacific Rim trade deal
While the Liberals insist a Pacific Rim trade bloc should welcome anyone who meets its standards, an internal document suggests Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants China kept out.
Federal government gives updated deal to public service union that signed agreement before PSAC strike
The federal government has given an updated deal to a public-service union that signed its collective agreement in the fall in order to match deals reached with the Public Service Alliance of Canada during a strike this spring.
Prince Harry testifies the tabloids destroyed his childhood, but fails to recall specific stories
Prince Harry entered a courtroom witness box Tuesday, swearing to tell the truth in testimony against a tabloid publisher he accuses of phone hacking and other unlawful snooping.
Feds warn 2023 on track to be the worst fire season ever seen in Canada
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
Parents being stretched thin saving up for children's education: survey
Many Canadian parents are stretching themselves thin — even going as far as to postpone their retirement in some cases — in order to help pay for their children’s education, according to a new survey.