UM Todayinflation – UM Today

CBC: What’s got Manitoba’s inflation rate so hot?

Eleanor Coopsammy — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 01:26:44 +0000

Is anybody else feeling the heat? Manitoba’s November inflation rate is over one per cent higher than the national average. Julie Buckingham filling in for Host Faith Fundal, speaks with Shiu-Yik Au, a finance professor at University of Manitoba to find out why.

For the full interview, please visit CBC.

CBC Manitoba: Manitobans worry about cost of living, crime and health-care waits, survey suggests

Fiona Odlum — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 18:55:16 +0000

An economics expert said people have been hit on three fronts since the COVID-19 pandemic — high inflation, a jump in interest rates and rising energy prices.

“Before the last couple of years, we had a pretty long period of time of relatively low or even falling inflation rates and extremely low interest rates,” said Fletcher Baragar, an associate professor of economics at the University of Manitoba.

“There are grounds for some optimism going forward. But changes such as falling interest rates and falling inflation rates — those are going to be gradual.”

To read more about this story, please visit CBC Manitoba.

CBC Manitoba: Manitoba’s low inflation rate shows gas-tax cut is working, but it may also indicate a slumping economy

Fiona Odlum — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 14:26:00 +0000

Manitoba’s 14 cent-a-litre reduction on gas prices ultimately had an impact on the national inflationary average.

Shiu-Yik Au, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Manitoba’s Asper School of Business, said the price of gas has an outsized role on the inflation rate because energy costs impact many other factors, ranging from grocery prices to business expenses.

Still, a slowing inflation rate could be a sign that Manitoba’s economy is slumping, Au said. He noted the Bank of Canada prefers inflation rate growth in the range of one to three per cent.

“We’re starting to drift toward the too few, too little” category, Au said.

Global News Winnipeg: Winnipeg holiday shoppers embrace creativity amid budget challenges

Fiona Odlum — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 21:32:30 +0000

Holiday shoppers in Winnipeg are embracing creativity amid budget challenges due to the high cost of living.

“It just meant that I’m not spending as much as I was last year. And also, doing, instead of just buying presents, doing handmade stuff this year,” said Nathan Geerligs of Winnipeg.

Economists say the vast majority of Canadians will be looking for sales — or comparing prices to get more out of their holiday budget.

“We know that in economic hard times, we’re not going to give up on stuff that makes us happy. We’re just gonna find different ways to interact with those things,” said Kivalina Grove, a professor of marketing at the University of Manitoba.

Read here

Global Winnipeg: University of Manitoba food bank seeing growing demand

Fiona Odlum — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 19:10:35 +0000

“We used to help around 200 to 100 students each month before the pandemic, but now we help over 600 students each month.” University of Manitoba’s s food bank is seeing a growing number of students in need.

Food bank coordinator Mauricio Munoz explains how Manitobans can help.

Watch here

CBC Manitoba: Manitobans who use food banks face extra challenges if they also have a health condition

Fiona Odlum — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 20:51:08 +0000

A nutritionist from the University of Manitoba says higher costs for healthy food can make managing chronic illnesses like diabetes a struggle for people living on social assistance.

“I think it would be almost impossible to meet those needs,” said Natalie Riediger, associate professor with the department of food and human nutritional sciences.

“You don’t have any control when you go to a food bank,” she said. “There’s no way to plan, so people are victim to whatever is available.”

Read here