A woman shops for produce in Vancouver, on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Food inflation appears to be easing in Canada but experts say consumers shouldn’t expect lower prices at the grocery store. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Food inflation appears to be easing in Canada, but experts say shoppers shouldn’t expect lower prices at the grocery store.

Statistics Canada says the cost of groceries in February rose 10.6 per cent compared with a year before, down from an 11.4 per cent year-over-year increase in January.

Yet a falling food inflation rate doesn’t mean the price of food is coming down.

Instead, it means prices are rising less quickly, signalling the worst of the era of grocery price hikes could be behind us.

Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, says the food inflation rate is expected to continue to cool throughout the spring and into summer.

But he says Canadians may still experience sticker shock at the grocery store as some food prices are still significantly higher than a year ago.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2023.

The Alberta government says it’s moving to force oilpatch companies to make good on their unpaid municipal taxes.

Energy Minister Peter Guthrie says he’s issued an order that blocks companies from acquiring or transferring licences on wells or other assets if their unpaid taxes exceed a threshold amount.

That threshold is yet to be determined and will be set by the Alberta Energy Regulator and Alberta Municipal Affairs.

Alberta Energy says in a release that once the threshold has been established, companies that don’t meet it will be targeted for collection.

Rural Municipalities Alberta has said energy companies owe the municipal districts in which they operate a total of $268 million.

Paul McLauchlin of the group says the order will help reduce the unpaid tax burden on its members.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2023.

The Canadian Press