Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Manitoba's inflation rate second highest in country

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 08/17/2012 9:48 AM | Comments: 0

WINNIPEG — The cost of living in Manitoba increased at one of the fastest rates in the country in July, new Statistics Canada figures show.

The agency said Manitoba’s annual inflation rate in July was 1.8 per cent. The only province with a higher annual rate was Quebec at 1.9 per cent.

Manitoba’s July’s rate was also up from the previous month, when it was 1.4 per cent.

Statistics Canada said some of the consumer goods and services which saw the biggest price increases over the past year were homeowners’ home and mortgage insurance (up 10.3 per cent), homeowners’ maintenance and repairs (9.3 per cent) and gasoline (5.2 per cent).

Some of the items that saw the biggest price declines were natural gas (down 19.4 per cent), home entertainment equipment, parts and services (8.1 per cent) and passenger vehicle insurance premiums (4.9 per cent).

Nationally, Canada’s annual inflation rate fell unexpectedly in July, declining to 1.3 per cent from 1.5 per cent in June.

Statistics Canada said higher prices for passenger vehicles, restaurant meals, meat and electricity were the main drivers of inflation last month.

Economists had expected a month-to-month increase of 0.2 per cent and a year-to-year increase of 1.6 per cent before the Statistics Canada report.

Core inflation — which excludes volatile items like energy and fresh fruit and vegetables — rose 1.7 per cent in the 12 months ended in July.

— with files by Canadian Press

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.