As grocery prices continue to rise across Canada, residents of Park-Extension are feeling the impact more acutely than most, according to food security advocates and recent reporting from Montreal-based media.
Statistics Canada’s latest food price index, published within the last week, confirms that grocery inflation remains stubbornly high, particularly for staple items such as fresh produce, dairy products, bread, and cooking oils. While the pace of increases has slowed compared to earlier peaks, prices remain significantly higher than they were two years ago, putting sustained pressure on low-income households.
In Park-Extension, where many families already spend a larger share of their income on food, the effects are immediate. Community organizations operating food banks and collective kitchens in the neighbourhood report increased demand heading into winter, with more first-time users seeking assistance.
Montreal media outlets including have reported that food insecurity is now affecting a growing number of working households, not only those traditionally considered at risk. Rising rents, combined with higher grocery bills, are leaving families with fewer choices at the checkout counter.
Park-Extension is particularly exposed to these trends. The neighbourhood has one of Montreal’s highest concentrations of recent immigrants and large households, many of whom rely on affordable grocery stores and small independent markets. When prices rise across the board, the ability to substitute or shop around becomes limited.
Local food justice advocates point out that inflation affects not only how much people pay, but what they buy. Families increasingly report cutting back on fresh fruits, vegetables, and protein, opting instead for cheaper, less nutritious options. Health workers warn this shift can have long-term consequences, particularly for children.
In response, some community groups are expanding food distribution programs and advocating for broader policy measures, including enhanced social assistance indexing and support for affordable food access in dense urban neighbourhoods.
While grocery inflation is a national issue, its local impact is uneven. In Park-Extension, where budgets are already stretched thin, rising food prices are not an abstract economic indicator but a daily calculation made aisle by aisle.
