WINNIPEG, MB, Jan. 30, 2026 /CNW/ – Our global landscape is rapidly changing, leaving economies, businesses, and workers under a cloud of uncertainty. In response, Canada’s new government 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.

The Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs, makes an announcement at Harvest Manitoba, highlighting the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. (CNW Group/Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada)

The Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs, makes an announcement at Harvest Manitoba, highlighting the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. (CNW Group/Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada)

Today in Winnipeg, the Minister for Northern and Arctic Affairs, the Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, visited Harvest Manitoba and their Asihcikan project to highlight how the Government of Canada is helping 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.

As announced by the Prime Minister on January 26, the Government of Canada is proposing a new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit to help more than 12 million low- and modest-income Canadians afford everyday necessities. This includes approximately 475,000 Manitobans. The benefit is expected to begin in spring 2026, pending Royal Assent.

Legislation introduced in Parliament to implement the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit would:

provide a one-time top-up payment to be paid as early as possible this spring and no later than June 2026 (subject to Royal Assent)—equal to a 50% increase in the annual 2025-26 value of the GST Credit. This investment would deliver $3.1 billion in immediate assistance to individuals and families who currently receive the GST Credit.

increase the value of the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit by 25% for five years starting in July 2026 (subject to Royal Assent). This increase would provide $8.6 billion in additional support over the 2026-27 to 2030-31 period, including support for 500,000 additional individuals and families.

Taken together, these measures would 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, Canada’s new government would be helping to offset grocery prices beyond overall inflation since the pandemic.

Other federal programs also continue to address the challenges of grocery costs and food affordability. Nutrition North Canada works with trusted delivery partners, such as Harvest Manitoba, to help lower the cost of transporting and distributing nutritious food and essential goods to eligible northern communities, including 16 isolated communities in northern Manitoba. Food banks serving remote areas can also access the Nutrition North Canada subsidy. Isolated communities have further support through the Harvesters Support Grant and the Community Food Programs Fund, which help strengthen local and traditional food production, including through investments in food harvesting and storage infrastructure.

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

Setting 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.

Creating a $150 million Food Security Fund under the existing Regional Tariff Response Initiative for small and medium enterprises and the organizations that support them.

Introducing immediate expensing for greenhouse buildings to lower the cost of food production. This allows 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.

Providing $20 million to the Local Food Infrastructure Fund to ease immediate pressures with food banks. This supports food banks and other national, regional, and local organizations to deliver more nutritious food to families in need.

Developing 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.

Quote

“As we build a strong economy that benefits all Canadians and fosters shared growth, the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit will meaningfully support northern communities. Together with partnerships like the one with Harvest Manitoba, this investment will address today’s needs, strengthen local food systems, and expand access to nutritious foods in some of the country’s most remote regions.”

The Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Arctic and Northern Affairs

Quick Facts

Under the proposed Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit:

A single senior with $25,000 in net income would receive a one-time top-up of $267 plus a longer-term increase of $136 for the 2026-27 benefit year (total increase of $402). In total, they would receive $950 for the 2026-27 benefit year (including the top-up).

A couple with two children with $40,000 in net income would receive a one-time top-up of $533 plus an increase of $272 for the 2026-27 benefit year (total increase of $805). In total, they would receive $1,890 for the 2026-27 benefit year (including the top-up).

After the one-time payment is made in the spring of 2026 (subject to Royal Assent), eligible families and individuals in Canada will receive the enriched regular payments under the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit as of July 2026 (subject to Royal Assent).

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.

Through partnerships with organizations like Harvest Manitoba, Nutrition North Canada subsidizes the transportation and distribution of nutritious food and essential household items to 124 isolated northern communities across Canada.

In partnership with Food Banks Canada, Nutrition North Canada and Minister Chartrand will be hosting a Food Sovereignty Summit with Northern and Indigenous partners, stakeholders, community, territorial and national leaders in March 2026 to discuss actionable ways to bolster food sovereignty and strengthen food security in the North. Harvest Manitoba, the first registered food bank to participate in the expanded Nutrition North Canada subsidy program, ships and shares 13 million pounds of health food every year, supporting more than 50,000 Manitobans monthly.

Minister Chartrand recently visited Harvest Manitoba to highlight food affordability measures announced by the Prime Minister and to recognize the role of community partners, with further engagement planned through the upcoming Nutrition North Canada Summit.

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