Gas prices continue to rise at stations across Metro Vancouver, with some up to $2.18 per litre Wednesday morning.
One food bank is already predicting an uptick in visits as fuel surcharges are also set to hit grocery prices this month.
Kim Savage, the executive director with the Surrey Food Bank, says the cost of living is already so high that adding skyrocketing gas prices into the mix is going increase the need for its services.
“Those gas prices not only affect their ability for transportation, [but] it’s also going to affect supply chains and the cost of goods once they actually do hit shelves, making groceries more expensive,” said Savage.
“Current forecasts estimate that there’s going to be inflation of six to seven per cent on food prices again this year.”
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The Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers told 1130 News Radio Tuesday that stores have already started to receive notices from suppliers of impending fuel surcharges set to go into effect in April.
Savage says the combination of price hikes are not just impacting low-income families but also middle-income homes as well.
“Some people call it a crisis. Crisis to me means something happens once and it resolves itself. This is chronic. There are structural issues in the economy that are triggering this unaffordability and that sort of thing. It’s making it really difficult for folks.”
She says the Surrey food bank has seen a sizeable uptick in visits this year compared to March 2025.
“Last March, we had just under 17,000 people visit our food bank and closing out this month, having nearly 19,000 people visit our food bank” Savage said.
“That’s a big percentage jump and that really speaks to the chronic need.”