Cost of living increases hurting Montreal citizens, charities

Canada's national inflation rate in the month of February hit a 30-year high year over year. Low income earners and Montreal charities are feeling the squeeze.

Gage Russell has a new job as a kitchen worker at The Depot Community Food Centre in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Que. It’s his first time being employed in two years.

“I love the work,” he told Global News.

Russell says he loves the new financial freedom his employment gives him but he stresses about the rising cost of living to make ends meet.

“I start to panic when I think about it because the gap is getting bigger and bigger,” Russell said. And he’s not alone.

From a litre of milk to a luxury sedan, almost every consumer item has gone up in price according to the most recent figures from Statistics Canada.

The consumer price index increased 5.7 per cent in February of this year compared to the same month in 2021. That is the highest year-over-year increase since 1991.

Leading the increase was the price of gasoline, up 32.3 per cent.

Many of life’s necessities also saw major increases, including groceries which jumped 7.4 per cent and household appliances which spiked by 7.8 per cent.