Viral TikTok video exposes 'outrageous' grocery prices in Northern Canada

For years now, Canadians have been sounding off about the rising cost of groceries as inflation continues to stretch wallets thin.

Whether it’s someone in B.C. stunned that two bags of Lay’s chips cost $9 or someone in Ontario shocked to find watermelons selling for $17 at Costco Canada, grocery price tags have become a regular fixture on social media.

But one Canadian TikToker has put all those provincial complaints into perspective after documenting the jaw-dropping cost of food in communities near the Canadian Arctic.

TikTok creator @kopke613 has been sharing his cross-Canada road trip with more than four million followers. When he recently stopped at a NorthMart in a remote northern community, a video of his walkthrough went viral, racking up more than 17 million views in just 48 hours.

@kopke613 filmed the video in response to a follower asking him if food really is as expensive in the Arctic as people say it is.

Spoiler alert: it’s incredibly expensive. Cry-in-fetal-position-when-you-get-your-credit-card-statement expensive.

While some Canadians have found creative ways to keep their grocery bills down — like one Ontario woman who showed how she keeps her monthly grocery bill to just $160 for herself and her husband — others, particularly those living in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, don’t have that luxury. In many northern communities, residents have to dig deep just to afford everyday items like milk and chicken.

As @kopke613’s recent video pointed out, a two-litre carton of Beatrice chocolate milk costs $14.49. According to grocery savings and price-matching app Flipp, someone in Ontario could find the same product on sale for $4.99 at Longo’s and other major grocery store chains. 

@kopke613 What do you think the most ridiculous price was? · #Canada #canadian #arctic #food ♬ original sound – kopke613

Various bags of Cracker Barrel shredded cheese that cost $15.19 up North can sell for as little as $5.49 in Ontario, while online grocery stores like B.C.’s Save-on-Foods list the same cheese on sale for $6.99 from its regular price of $9.19. 

Here’s where things get more jarring. Say you live near Nunavut and want to add some protein to your meals. Well, a tray of four chicken breasts will set you back $42.10, as the TikToker at NorthMart points out. That’s almost $30 more than what someone in Alberta would pay for the same amount of chicken; Flipp says a four-pack of Maple Leaf boneless chicken breasts costs just $12.16 at a Calgary Walmart. 

Another “outrageous” price tag @kopke613 came across was $24.09 for a near-four-litre jug of SunRype apple juice. Cranberry juice, he said, wasn’t much better, with a three-litre jug coming in at $14.29. In most provinces across Canada, those items cost an average of $9 and $6 respectively.

“Honestly the craziest thing out of all of it is the 24-pack of ‘no name’ water bottles for 32 bucks, bud,” he exclaimed in the video. An Ontario No Frills and a Calgary Walmart both sell the same case for $3, a difference of $29! 

For over a minute, the content creator goes on to point out the absurd prices on everything from an $11.29 pineapple and $11.49 bag of celery to a $9 two-litre bottle of Coca-Cola, which left viewers in shock.

“I can’t afford to watch this video,” one user commented. “I’d be stealing, cause ain’t no way!” wrote another.

“You’ve got to take a second mortgage on your house and sell your first born for a bag of peppers because they are $20.19!” says the content creator. Meanwhile, No Frills in Ontario currently sells a four-pack of peppers for just $4.99. 

While the Canadian TikToker didn’t add all the items to his cart, he did manage to buy a few items: a “fancy Lunchables,” a box of dried banana chips, two apples and reusable bags “as souvenirs,” which cost him a total of $18.

Why are groceries so expensive in Northern Canada?

Sadly, for residents in this part of the country, high food prices have long been the norm.

The region’s harsh climate and long winters make it difficult to grow fresh produce or raise livestock, so many groceries have to be shipped in from other parts of Canada and around the world, according to reports.

Many northern and Indigenous communities are not connected to the rest of Canada by permanent roads. Without year-round truck or rail access, essential groceries often have to be flown in, driving up costs even further since jet fuel prices keep surging. 

Supply and demand is another reason. Unlike major cities like Vancouver and Calgary, many northern communities are small and spread apart, which means stores have fewer customers to help cover the cost of bringing food in, keeping shelves stocked and running day-to-day operations. Fewer grocery stores competing against each other means shoppers have fewer chances to compare prices or find cheaper alternatives, so they’re stuck with $11 pineapples and $42 chicken breasts.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but things are getting more expensive as the year goes by. According to a recent Dalhousie University food report, the average Canadian family of four is expected to spend $17,571.79 on food this year, up to $994.63 more than last year as grocery prices are predicted to rise by another four to six per cent.

For many folks watching @kopke613’s video, the NorthMart grocery prices may seem “outrageous.” But for people living in these northern communities, it’s not much of a viral surprise. It’s just the cost of putting food on the table every day.