NDP Leader says profiteering grocers must be held accountable as affordability crisis deepens

THUNDER BAY – POLITICS – At a time when Canadians are paying more and getting less at the checkout counter, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is calling for bold action. Speaking from the Parkdale Food Centre in Ottawa on Friday, Singh laid out his party’s plan to cap grocery prices on key staples and fight back against what he described as “rampant profiteering” by Canada’s largest grocery chains.

🛒 Cost of Living Crisis Hits Thunder Bay and Beyond

Food insecurity continues to grow in Northern and rural communities, including Thunder Bay, where residents already face higher grocery costs due to transportation challenges and fewer retail options. Singh’s proposed emergency measures would set price caps on essentials like pasta, frozen vegetables, and infant formula—items that have surged in cost since 2020:

• Cooking oil up 75%

• Pasta up 43%

• Infant formula up 30%

“These are not luxury items—they’re everyday necessities,” Singh said. “While families across Thunder Bay struggle to feed their kids, grocery chains are raking in billions. It’s not just unfair—it’s unjust.”

🧾 Holding Grocers Accountable, Not Shielding CEOs

Singh took aim at both Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney, accusing them of siding with corporate giants like Loblaws, Walmart, and Empire Foods.

“Poilievre talks about helping working people but won’t touch the grocery CEOs driving up prices,” Singh said. “And Carney? He handed a tax break to millionaires while letting food prices spiral out of control.”

The NDP previously pushed the government to suspend the GST on groceries, a move Singh says temporarily lowered costs before being reversed—leading to another inflation spike. Singh blames both Liberal inaction and Conservative corporate alignment for failing to stop the rise in food prices.

🛠️ Singh’s Grocery Affordability Plan Includes:

• Emergency price caps on key food items to “tariff-proof” Canadian grocery shelves

• A mandatory Grocery Code of Conduct to regulate pricing and prevent corporate backlash

• Expanded powers for the Competition Bureau to investigate price-fixing and collusion

• A windfall profits tax on major grocery chains

• Reform of Nutrition North, ensuring subsidies go directly to northern consumers, not corporations like North Mart

🌾 Why This Matters to Thunder Bay

In Northern Ontario, many communities—particularly First Nations and remote regions—face some of the highest grocery costs in the country. Singh’s plan to overhaul Nutrition North and enforce fair pricing could be a game-changer for Thunder Bay and surrounding areas.

“This is about whose side you’re on,” Singh said. “Poilievre and Carney defend the system. I’m fighting to fix it—for Thunder Bay families, for single parents in Kenora, and for seniors trying to stretch their pensions in Marathon.”