How much for a block of Cheese?

Things cost more here.

Canada is not quite as scared of taxes as the US, so many things (especially ‘non-essentials’ like alcohol and tobacco) are much more expensive all over Canada than they are anywhere in the states.

But beyond the tax-hike, we live in a remote corner of Canada, where everything arrives by plane or ferry (a few days late). So it is difficult for me to get out of my semi-weekly grocery store trip without leaving behind $70 or so (this may not seem like much to you family of 4’s with growing kids, but we just have two not-growing mouths to feed).

We have two options when it’s time to do the grocery shopping. We can hop over to Shearwater, the resort-centered store on Denny Island (a 5-minute boat ride or a 30-minute walk), where we can find the sometimes harder to find items (jalepenos, cous-cous, or artichoke hearts) or we can trek over to Bella Bella (a 10-minute boat ride or a very long swim), where the prices are a bit cheaper and the selection a bit bigger.

We have been very pleased with the selections at both locations, and especially with the quality and price of produce. While it’s not the apple plucked from the tree in my backyard, it is an apple and it’s not half bad. Produce prices seem equivalent and sometimes cheaper than what we saw in Seattle, an unexplained phenomenon around here.

And for your enjoyment, a sample grocery list. The prices are in Canadian dollars, which is worth a little bit more or a little bit less than the American dollar, depending on the day. I'll let you do the math...

1 dozen large white eggs 1 surprisingly small block of cheese 1 box of cereal 1 can of hot chocolate mix 1 jar of strawberry jam 1 (very small) whole frozen chicken 1 large jar of Adam’s peanut butter 1 loaf of Dempsters wheat bread 1 package of bacon 1 can black beans 1 bag of chocolate chips 1 big jar of tomato sauce 1 bundle of broccoli 1 canteloupe 1 Red pepper 1 Green pepper 1 large tomato 3 nectarines 3 plums 5 bananas 1 container of strawberries (available just one time) 2 naval oranges 2 Pink lady apples

$4.49 $13.25 (ouch) $6.75 $6.20 $6.45 $14.51 $8.90 $4.86 $5.99 $2.85 $4.55 $5.45 $1.98 $1.90 $1.48 $0.87 $0.58 $2.50 $1.11 $2.68 $3.79 $1.19 $1.24