This Christmas Eve, the smell of cake may waft through your kitchen as you put the finishing touches to your log. But how much does it cost across the country to make this holiday a classic? Unsurprisingly, the bill is highest in the Far North.
According to the ICI Grand Nord team, making a chocolate block with ganache and chocolate whipped cream using a recipe from the Mordu Portal (New Window) costs $30.60 in Iqaluit, Nunavut and $30.96 in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik.
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In Canadian provinces, the price of the same cake varies between $14 and $15, according to Statistics Canada's October 2023 Consumer Price Index.
In Quebec, log preparation is the cheapest, with a total cost of $14. According to this calculation, British Columbia is the most expensive of all the southern provinces at $15.69.
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The most expensive ingredient to make this protocol is chocolate, of which you will need 350g. In Iqaluit, Nunavut, Baker's chocolate sells for $10.99 for 225g. Total cost for this recipe: $17.10.
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In Iqaluit, Baker-style chocolate sells for $10.99 for 8 ounces.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Matisse Harvey
In Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, the same amount of chocolate costs $20.57.
In these two northern regions, the federal “Nutrition North” program enables a price reduction for certain foodstuffs sent by air. However, chocolate is not one of them.
To receive a discount at checkout, the food must be nutritious and perishable; Let's think of fruit and vegetables, meat and alternatives, grain products and dairy products (including cream).
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The federal Nutrition North program helps lower the price of nutritious, perishable foods shipped by air, such as flour.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Matisse Harvey
In Kuujjuaq, the Kativik Regional Government (KRG) Food and Essential Products Program offers an additional 15 to 35% discount on groceries, bringing the price closer to what is paid for the same groceries in southern Quebec.
Despite the Nutrition North subsidy and the KRG rebate in Kuujjuaq, 473 ml of 35% fat cream costs $9.39 in Iqaluit and $7.39 in Kuujjuaq. The same can of cream costs less than $6 in Quebec.
Lower prices in Yellowknife and Dawson
Residents of Yellowknife (Northwest Territories) and Dawson (Yukon) are doing a little better. The ingredients needed for Mordu's log recipe cost $18.38 in Yellowknife and $19.78 in Dawson.
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Sign with a Northwest Territories flag.
Photo: Radio-Canada
Here too, it is the chocolate and cream that enrich the whole thing. In Yellowknife, the amount of chocolate needed for the recipe costs $10.87 and in Dawson it costs $11.65.
The reason for the cheaper prices in Yellowknife or Dawson is the connection to the road network, which reduces the cost of food compared to transport by plane.
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Dawson's Grocery Store, the Dawson City General Store. Like Yellowknife, Dawson is accessible by road, making food at grocery stores a bit more affordable. However, these prices are still higher than what Canadians pay in the south of the country.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Chris MacIntyre
Despite everything, these regions experienced a dizzying rise in prices last year due to inflation, like the rest of the country. Not to mention, road transportation, while cheaper than air transportation, puts additional pressure on prices, especially in Yellowknife, according to Yellowknife food consultant Kaven Paradis.
In all of Canada, the route to Yellowknife is the most expensive […] the most expensive, he said.
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Kaven Paradis is a trained chef and food consultant in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
Photo: Provided by Kaven Paradis
The man, who has culinary training and has worked in the kitchens of several restaurants in Yellowknife, believes that prices won't go down anytime soon: it won't stop tomorrow morning. People are increasingly demanding to be paid more. The cost of buildings is rising [élevé]. The cost of oil [de chauffage], propane will always rise. I think we'll be around for a while.
His recommendation? Cook in large quantities. As a chef and family man, I do [grandes quantités] and I'm freezing […]. We just need to plan a little more, think about our business, think about our money.
At more than $30 each, making this dessert in bulk isn't an option. Despite everything, this little luxury that we only afford once a year should not exceed the budget reserved for food.
