An old flyer shows how much Canadians paid for groceries in 1952

u/EnvironmentalCake594/Reddit

Pretty much every Canadian has felt the pinch when it comes to the rising cost of groceries, and one recent Reddit post shows how much people paid for groceries over 70 years ago.

Reddit user EnvironmentalCake594 shared a photo on Reddit of a 1952 flyer from Dominion, a chain of supermarkets across Canada. Back then, it does seem like shoppers at Dominion’s Sudbury, Ontario, location certainly got some amazing deals, such as Red Rose instant coffee for 52 cents and Tide detergent for just 63 cents.

But were the deals back then really that great?

According to a Cost of Living survey, Canadians spent an average of $189.10 on food in March 1952. Meanwhile, Canada’s Food Price Report 2024 predicted that an average Canadian family of four would spend $16,297.20 on food a year.

A Statistics Canada survey reveals that the national weekly salary across Canada in 1952 was $111.60; however, in 2024, the weekly average salary was $1,205.01.

Check out the flyer below:

Grocery prices Northern Ontario 1952
byu/EnvironmentalCake594 inontario

We chose some items from the supermarket flyer to see how they compare to today’s prices, opting for Walmart Canada for consistency. Check out the comparisons below: