Provincial posted Mar 18, 2025 @ 05:45am by Iain Burns

Inflation up to 2.6% across Canada, 3% in BC as federal tax break ends

Inflation’s on the march again.

The annual rate was 2.6 per cent across Canada in February, up from 1.9 per cent the previous month.

In British Columbia, it was three per cent in February, up from January’s 2.2 per cent.

<who> Photo credit: StatCan

Statistics Canada, which compiles the data, said the conclusion of the federal GST/HST break on Feb. 15 “contributed notable upward pressure” on the prices of items covered by the policy.

That was most obvious in restaurant food prices in February, according to StatsCan, though they still declined on an annual basis (-1.4 per cent, vs 5.1 per cent in January).

<who> Photo credit: StatCan

Booze also declined by 1.4 per cent in February, compared with a 3.6 per cent decline in January.

Gas prices, meanwhile, increased 5.1 per cent in February compared with the previous year, slower than January's 8.6 per cent.

According to StatCan, without the Liberals’ tax break policy – which ran from December to February – last month’s inflation rate would have been three per cent.

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Provincial posted Mar 18, 2025 @ 05:45am by Iain Burns

Inflation up to 2.6% across Canada, 3% in BC as federal tax break ends

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