Thanksgiving dinner will come at a high price for Canadians this year, according to data collected by the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. Sylvain Charlebois, who teaches food policy at the university and also manages the lab, explained that prices of some basic food items for Thanksgiving have increased by up to 26 percent compared to March 2020 and 22 percent compared to this time last year. Statistics Canada reported on September 20 that across all retail food items, inflation rose by 10.8 percent. Charlebois also said in a phone interview on Monday with CTV: "Many people are struggling out there." He added that seven percent of the people surveyed by the lab earlier in September admitted to skipping meals due to rising food prices, and that families are under more pressure than ever.

In the same context, turkey, the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner in Canada, increased in price per kilogram by 15 percent compared to last year and 22 percent compared to March 2020 according to the new data, while potatoes are 22 percent more expensive compared to last year and 26 percent higher than March 2020. Frozen corn rose by six percent from last year, but only by one percent compared to March 2020. Bread prices increased by 13 percent compared to last year, and 21 percent compared to 2020. Also, turnips were only 2 percent more expensive this year compared to last year, but 26 percent more expensive compared to March 2020. The cost of bacon, a staple item in Charlebois' Thanksgiving household, increased by 2 percent compared to 2021, and 25 percent compared to March 2020.

Charlebois said that those looking to offset rising food prices through shopping deals will also be disappointed, stating: "Discounts are about 10 percent less (in value) than what we were seeing about a year ago, and there are fewer discounts available to consumers." Charlebois added that Canadians are not alone in their struggle to pay for food, with several global factors leading to price increases in countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Australia, Japan, and the United States, noting that it is a global phenomenon.