WHITEHORSE, YT, March 5, 2026 /CNW/ - The global landscape is rapidly changing, leaving economies, businesses and workers under a cloud of uncertainty. In response, the Government of Canada is focused on what we can control: building a stronger economy to make life more affordable for Canadians. Affordability pressures—especially those related to food—require immediate support for Canadians.

Today, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development, met with community members in Whitehorse to highlight how the government is working to put more money back in the pockets of those most affected by the rising price of food and to tackle food insecurity across a range of fronts.

On January 26, Prime Minister Carney announced new measures to make groceries and other essentials more affordable for Canadians, including the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, starting in the spring of 2026. It will help more than 12 million low- and modest-income Canadians afford day-to-day essentials, including around 10,000 in the Yukon.

On February 12, legislation passed to deliver the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. With the royal assent of Bill C-19, the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Act, the new benefit will do the following:

• It will provide a one-time top-up payment—to be paid as early as possible this spring and no later than June 2026—equal to a 50% increase in the annual 2025–2026 value of the GST credit. This will deliver $3.1 billion in immediate assistance to individuals and families who currently get the GST credit.
• It will increase the value of the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit by 25% for five years starting in July 2026. This increase will deliver $8.6 billion in additional support over the 2026–2027 to 2030–2031 period, including to 500,000 new individuals and families.

Taken together, these measures will provide up to an additional $402 to a single individual without children, $527 to a couple and $805 to a couple with two children. At these levels, the government will be offsetting grocery cost increases beyond overall inflation since the pandemic.

The government also announced a suite of measures to tackle food insecurity, support producers and strengthen supply chains, including the following:

• It will set aside $500 million from the Strategic Response Fund to help businesses address the costs of supply chain disruptions without passing those costs on to Canadians at the checkout line.
• It will create a $150 million Food Security Fund under the existing Regional Tariff Response Initiative for small and medium-sized enterprises and the organizations that support them.
• It will introduce immediate expensing for greenhouse buildings to lower the cost of food production. This will allow producers to fully write off greenhouses acquired on or after November 4, 2025, and that become available for use before 2030. This measure supports increased domestic supply and investment in food production over the medium term.
• It will provide $20 million to the Local Food Infrastructure Fund to ease immediate pressures with food banks. This will support food banks and other national, regional and local organizations in delivering more nutritious food to families in need.
• It will develop a National Food Security Strategy to tackle the root causes of food insecurity—one that strengthens domestic food production and improves access to affordable, nutritious food. This strategy will also include measures to implement unit price labelling and support the work of the Competition Bureau in monitoring and enforcing competition in the market, including food supply chains.

Quotes

"We all know grocery bills hit harder in Canada's North. That's why our federal government is laser-focused on giving Canadians more choice and making life more affordable. The new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit puts more money back in people's pockets in northern and remote communities, and that means practical help with day-to-day expenses for the seniors, families and workers who need it most."
– The Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development

"Across the Yukon, many households continue to feel the impact of rising everyday costs. The new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit provides targeted, practical support to help ease those pressures—offering real relief to people who need it now. And it's part of a broader plan our government has to support a resilient, stable economy where growth is responsible—and shared by everyone."
– Brendan Hanley, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Member of Parliament for Yukon

Quick facts

• Under the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit:
  • a single senior with $25,000 in net income will receive a one-time top-up of $267 plus a longer-term increase of $136 for the 2026–2027 benefit year (total increase of $402), meaning that in total, they will receive $950 for the 2026–2027 benefit year (including the top-up)
  • a couple with two children with $40,000 in net income will receive a one-time top-up of $533 plus an increase of $272 for the 2026–2027 benefit year (total increase of $805), meaning that in total, they will receive $1,890 for the 2026–2027 benefit year (including the top-up)
• After the one-time payment is made in the spring of 2026, eligible families and individuals in Canada will receive the enriched regular payments under the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit as of July 2026.
• The benefit will be paid quarterly, at the start of the quarter, to permit timely access to the funds to help families with day-to-day expenses. These amounts are additional to existing benefits such as the Canada child benefit, the Canada Disability Benefit and the Guaranteed Income Supplement.

Associated links

• Legislation Passes to Deliver New Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit
• Prime Minister Carney announces new measures to make groceries and other essentials more affordable for Canadians
• Backgrounder: The new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit

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