A report from Dalhousie University says the average turkey dinner for four would be around $36 in Canada, an increase of 10 per cent from last year.
But some shoppers in Calgary say good luck with paying only that much for the holiday meal.
“I think the Turkey alone is gonna cost you $35, and then if you want to do the sides and everything else” says one Calgarian, and another resident adding, “that’s wishful thinking (paying only $36).”
The Dalhousie U study says the turkey itself, a 7-pound version, is a big reason for the price rising from under 11 dollars in 2025 to over $12.50.
But in Calgary, a 4 and a half pound turkey CityNews discovered costs $25.
“This is the best price you can find in town, it really is,” one shopper says.
Others say they’re sharing costs of Thanksgiving dinner which makes it easier on everyone.
“We all take turns. One daughter will make or bring this one. I will bring something and somebody makes ‘appies’ and somebody else brings hors d’oeuvres. So that way we spread it so that no one person has the whole burden.”
Other proteins like ham lobster and lamb have also increased, as have costs of vegetables like carrots and potatoes, but it’s not for the reason you may think.
“(It’s) diesel. Absolutely diesel,” says Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
“The correlation between diesel prices and food prices is frighteningly high. I mean as soon as diesel prices go up food prices are impacted and we’re starting to see that and we were expecting that to happen before Thanksgiving.. it’s exactly what’s happening right now,” Charlebois tells CityNews.
As of September, the price of diesel in Canada had surged an average of 71 per cent compared to a year before at 260.7 cents per litre, according to analytics firm Kalibrate.
“The crisis caused by the wars in the Middle East and Russia has disproportionately affected diesel inventories.”
Despite a recent drop in diesel prices stateside, Patrick De Haan with GasBuddy says market turbulence could still buoy prices further.
“While oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are rising, refineries behind the Strait are not yet fully able to move products through, keeping gasoline and diesel prices elevated relative to what crude oil levels alone might suggest.”
As for groceries, Charlebois says good deals can still be found but Canadians must be a ready for a treasure hunt.
A Thanksgiving turkey dinner is shown in Toronto on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Keep it Factual
Add CityNews Calgary as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
