Satnaam Bedi currently lives in Ottawa, having come to Canada two years ago to pursue his undergraduate studies in Marketing at Algonquin College. Like many other Indians, he has chosen Canada to live the life of his dreams of him, but the rising inflation has changed a lot. Gasoline, food, and other basic products have seen prices soar over the past few months.
How the Pandemic Affects Pocket of Indian immigrants and students
This peak has dented the pockets of many Indian immigrants and students. “I came to Canada in 2020 before the pandemic, but a lot has changed since the coronavirus and the Ukraine-Russia war,” said Satnaam Bedi.
According to him, the prices of rent, food, and gasoline mainly affected Indian students. “I used to pay C $ 250 for the rent, but now it’s double that,” Bedi said.
Increased Prices On Basic Necessity.
Even staple foods have multiplied. According to Statistics Canada, food prices rise 9.8% from the previous year in August 2022, accelerating from a 9.2% increase in the previous month. It was the highest reading since August 1981.
“I used to pay about 5 Canadian dollars for the milk, but now it’s 9 Canadian dollars. Not only milk, but meat is also expensive before inflation it was 10 Canadian dollars to 2 pounds, but now it’s about 15 Canadian dollars, “Satnaam said.
I had a $ 100 food budget, but it increased to CAD 150-170. Canadians pay 6.5% more for meat, 7.0% more for dairy, 15.4% more for baked goods, and 13.2% more for fruit.
Indian students choose Canada for their higher education
Canada is home to millions of immigrants. Approximately one million Indian students choose Canada for their higher education every year. In recent years, Canada has become a popular destination for Indian students. About 1.83 million Indian students are pursuing their studies at various levels in the country. Canada is the second most popular destination for Indians seeking academic degrees on foreign soil.
Inflation affects Salaries
Bhupender Kaur belongs to Jalandhar and came to Canada a year ago. He is currently studying Business Development and to support the studies he works as a Business Analytics. “They pay me 15 Canadian dollars an hour and before that, it was 14 Canadian dollars. Inflation has multiplied, but our salaries are still low, “said Bhupender Kaur. Tuition fees have also risen and this increase has been a blow to many students.
Student fees have gone up by thousands. “Previously, a course, which cost CAD $ 15,000 a year, now costs around CAD $ 17,000,” said one student. Many students illegally work more than 20 hours a week to cope with rising prices and raise money for education and send a certain amount home. Remittances, which have become the main source of livelihood for many in India, also fell due to inflation. “I used to send C $ 1,000 home to Punjab, but now I only send C $ 500,” Satnaam Bedi said.
Simran Mathur, from Bhatinda and currently resident in Surrey, recently completed his degree from the Polytechnic. He said, “Students started thinking before taking any product to the mall. First, they check the price and then buy the product.”
Canadian government to change its policy.
The auto interest loan also increased. People used to pay 0.99% interest, but now it’s about 6%. Even gasoline, which used to cost CAD $ 1 per liter, now costs around CAD $ 2 per liter. Many Indian immigrants and students are now waiting for the Canadian government to change its policy. Increased working hours and salary are the main concerns for them.
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Canada’s retail industry is scrambling to move goods from Alberta to parts of British Columbia, where many consumers are stocking up on groceries and other household items after flooding cut off major trade corridors in and out of Vancouver.
Retail chains are altering their transportation strategies with plans to send trucks westward from Alberta, compared with the normal pattern of sending trucking goods eastward from Vancouver warehouses to the Fraser Valley and Interior.
If you’ve noticed last few years, there’s fewer loss-leading, fewer discounts, and fewer promotions.
Why? Because it’s been more difficult for companies to plan ahead. Now it’s becoming easier. So as a consumer going out there to the grocery store, you should expect more discounts, which is really good news for everyone.”
