A local politician’s post about high grocery prices has gone viral.
Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge MP Marc Dalton posted his observations about the price of steaks at Costco, and it has been viewed in social media more than three million times.
“Mark Carney told Canadians we could judge his government by the prices at the grocery store,” Dalton noted. “This package of four rib steaks for the barbecue at Costco… $142.56.
“Costco built its reputation on helping families stretch their grocery dollars,” he wrote. “Today, even buying in volume has become unaffordable for many. For someone earning minimum wage in British Columbia, this package costs almost an entire day’s pay before taxes.”
“The issue isn’t steak. The issue isn’t buying chuck over rib, or needing to make cold cut sandwiches instead of steak at your Canada Day BBQ.
“The issue is that more and more Canadians walk into a grocery store, look at the price tag, and have to walk away from the purchases they could afford, one year ago.
He asked people for their thoughts and close to 7,000 commented online, on Facebook alone.
The weight of the package of meat was about 6.4 pounds, and some noted the price was typical of the times, for that amount.
His post had about 3.1 million views by Friday evening, 1.9 million viewers, and 1.9 million reach, without including X.
“For a local MP’s post about grocery prices to reach more than 3 million views, I think it shows this issue is resonating well beyond Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, and Mission,” said his constituency assistant Chelsa Meadus.
“People are clearly frustrated with the cost of food, and this post seemed to capture that frustration in a very simple way.”