Canadians Panic As Food Prices Soar On Collapsing Currency

It was just yesterday when we documented the continuing slide in the loonie, which is suffering mightily in the face of oil’s inexorable decline.

As regular readers are no doubt acutely aware, Canada is struggling through a dramatic economic adjustment, especially in Alberta, the heart of the country’s oil patch. Amid the ongoing crude carnage the province has seen soaring property crime, rising food bank usage and, sadly, elevated suicide rates, as Albertans struggle to comprehend how things up north could have gone south (so to speak) so quickly.

The plunging loonie "can only serve to worsen the death of the 'Canadian Dream'" we said on Tuesday.

As it turns out, we were right.

The currency's decline is having a pronounced effect on Canadians' grocery bills.

As Bloomberg reminds us, Canada imports around 80% of its fresh fruits and vegetables. When the loonie slides, prices for those goods soar. "With lower-income households tending to spend a larger portion of income on food, this side effect of a soft currency brings them the most acute stress" Bloomberg continues.

Of course with the layoffs piling up, you can expect more households to fall into the "lower-income" category where they will have to fight to afford things like $3 cucumbers, $8 cauliflower, and $15 Frosted Flakes.

As Bloomberg notes, James Price, director of Capital Markets Products at Richardson GMP, recently joked during an interview on BloombergTV Canada that "we're going to be paying a buck a banana pretty soon."

Have a look at the following tweets which underscore just how bad it is in Canada's grocery aisles. And no, its not just Nunavut: it from coast to coast:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-01-13/canadians-panic-food-prices-soar-collapsing-currency

I personally was shocked when a very small celery bunch was $3.99 we had a $10 turkey and we wanted to make dressing. If saints are able to grow their own vegetables this really will be a good thing to do. Inflation on good is actually right in the situation of North America, but the USA has not allowed this so it is a huge bubble that is going to burst and look much worse quickly.

Yes it seems the Lord is no longer able to provide because.....................

brothers, and Julius especially, thank you for posting this, too am a fellow ZH reader. I know we've had our "go arounds", and let us just love in Christ.

I have to beg forgiveness that I didn't post what I know and have done for the coming days, because I didn't think it right to post such on a Godly forum dedicated to revival. in 2011, I literally "fled Judea" for the desolate areas, my county the size of Manhattan has 20,000 souls, and is literally the land of milk and honey....I walk around in $9 sneakers because God gave me a "Joseph ministry".

if it is good and pleasing, let me post a URL from an article written today about 70 things to do (pay attention to number 7)

but the most important thing the man skipped is to KNOW and follow Messiah Jesus...because the most deadly thing is FEAR.....as we have two choices of heart space....fear or Faith.....and believe me, in truth and authenticity, sometimes fear flies thru my spirit like a fell wind, but then I lean on the Lord, lean on the Most Holy Faith, this Wonderful Deposit....and then the Shalom of God comes.....supernatural....as we, followers of Messiah Jesus ARE and should be supernatural beings.

Brothers Greg and the Rev, I truly bleed for Canada, i'm sorry I withheld any knowledge I might have in these regards. There is a whole subset of folks called "preppers" (a word I don't embrace) MANY of them are secular preppers, its their "religion"....they want to hang on to this earthly life SO BAD, its all they think and talk about....and they buy all sorts of expensive "survival toys", when they fail to realize the most simple of pathogenic microbes could kill them in a matter of a few pain soaked days or weeks..its rather sad.

there is much more I could write, but I grieve.....I know why Jesus wept over Jerusalem,i love Him so....and Julius, i'm sorry if I hurt you or spoke ill.....i'm too "Israeli" sometimes.....in face to face life?....i'm a sweet man, please forgive me, and may God love you tenderly....all of you, i'll post the 70 things to do.....and I know I've posted it a lot, but i'll post the comp, "A Kingdom of Priests" to remind us of who we REALLY are, and maybe that will comfort us in Christ Jesus, neil

http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/70-tips-that-will-help-you-survive-what-is-about-to-happen-to-america

A Kingdom of Priests
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=12043

Brother Neil,

Thank you for posting this, if the Holy Spirit is leading saints to prepare and move to a location that He has ministry for them, this is very important and should not be mocked. Many believers feel it is fear and lack of faith to prepare for something that God is warning many believers about. It is also as brother shared not seeking to extend our earthly lives but to be prepared to serve God's purposes and accept martyrdom or death gladly if that is His will.

David Wilkerson clearly warned till his death for saints especially in large cities to have at least 30 day worth of food and water for each person.

This is the list on the website that Neil shared, strangely enough most people who lived 50 years ago had most things in place on that list, as it was NORMAL to have extra goods stored up especially for the winter months. We are NOW in a society where we live day to day or week to week and spend money on our immediate gratification.

--

1. A lot of the "experts” out there are urging people to get rid of all of their cash. That is a huge mistake. You are going to need cash to pay your bills ”“ especially during the initial phases of the coming crisis. Today, 63 percent of all Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, and millions of them will be severely hurting almost immediately once they lose their jobs or their businesses go under during this new economic downturn.

2. Get to know your neighbors. As the coming time of trouble unfolds, you are going to want to have people around you that you can trust and depend on.

3. Learn how to grow a garden. Food costs will continue to rise and our food distribution system is far more vulnerable than most people would dare to imagine. Any way that you can become more "food independent” would be a good thing.

4. At this point, you should already have several years of emergency food stored up for each member of your family. And don’t forget to store additional food for friends and family members that haven’t prepared and will need to come stay with you.

5. Make a "bug out plan” for your family, and make certain that every member of your family knows what the rally points are in case you all get separated.

6. Every member of your family should have a "bug out bag". These should contain everything that they will need in the event of a major emergency.

7. If you are going to "strategically relocate” before things get really bad in this country, hopefully you have already done so by now. If not, you are working on borrowed time.

8. When civil unrest starts really spiraling out of control, it would be in your interest to avoid "America’s death zones” if possible.

9. Always have the gas tanks in your vehicles at least halfway full. You never know when you will need to hit the road in an emergency situation.

10. Put away some extra fuel for your generator while fuel costs are low.

11. Think ahead about what medicines and medical supplies you and your family will need during a major crisis.

12. Try to stock up on things that will make good barter items when the overall economy begins to totally break down.

13. There are non-electric versions of various appliances. Some examples include washing machines and coffee makers.

14. How are you going to cook your food when the power goes out for an extended period of time? You may want to consider a sun oven if you don’t have one already.

15. Don’t have all of your eggs in one basket. That includes not having all of your money in one location. If you have a bank account, consider spreading that money around to two or three different bank accounts.

16. You will want to keep at least some cash at home in case you are not able to access ATM machines during a major crisis.

17. If you can get out of debt without jeopardizing your other preparations, you should consider doing so. Those that are "lean and mean” financially will be in much better shape ”“ especially during the initial stages of the coming crisis.

18. Physical gold and silver are good ways to protect your wealth over the long-term. As I have warned repeatedly, we will continue to see big ups and big downs for precious metals, so if you are going to invest you have got to be able to handle the ride.

19. Reduce your expenses and get accustomed to a more minimal standard of living. Now is not the time to be spending lots of money on fancy new toys.

20. If you have the time and energy, starting a side business may not be a bad idea. That way if you lose your job, you still have some income coming in.

21. You need to have a plan for fresh water in the event of a major emergency. Without water none of us can survive, and is imperative that you have a plan to provide clean drinking water for your family when disaster strikes.

22. If you can afford to get partially or totally "off the grid”, that would be a very good thing. Many preppers are discovering that they can do amazing things with wind, solar and water power.

23. Anyone that has spent more than a few hours without power knows how frustrating this can be. You need to have a plan for how you are going to provide power to your home that is independent of the power company.

24. Rotate your food supplies. Eat your oldest stuff first even though it may be tempting to dig into the stuff that you just purchased.

25. If you have a baby, don’t forget the special things that your baby will need during a major crisis.

26. Many preppers totally forget about their pets. You should store the food and supplies that they will need during an extended emergency.

27. This may sound trivial, but the truth is that our entertainment-addicted society would become very bored and very frustrated if the grid suddenly went down for an extended period of time. Card games and other basic forms of entertainment can make enduring a crisis much easier.

28. In the years ahead, being able to defend your home is going to become increasingly important. When the economy crashes, people are going to start to become very desperate. And desperate people do desperate things.

29. No plan ever unfolds perfectly. When your plan is disrupted, what will you do? It will be imperative for all of us to have a back-up plan and to be flexible during the years ahead.

30. Do not go around and tell everyone in the area where you live about your prepping. If you do, then you may find yourself overwhelmed with "visitors” when everything falls apart.

The following are items that are commonly recommended by survivalist experts that you may want to consider storing in case they are needed during a major crisis or emergency…

31. Blankets

32. Warm Clothing

33. Gloves

34. Extra Flashlights

35. First Aid Kits

36. Lighters

37. Matches

38. Duct Tape

39. A Shovel

40. A Tent

41. Knives

42. Mylar Blankets

43. Body Armor

44. Salt

45. Propane

46. Vitamins

47. An Axe

48. A Can Opener

49. A Battery-Powered Radio

50. Extra Batteries

51. A Fire Extinguisher

52. A Sewing Kit

53. A Tool Kit

54. Comfortable Shoes Or Hiking Boots

55. A Map Of Your Area

56. A Compass

57. Sleeping Bags

58. Candles

59. A Camp Stove

60. An LED Headlamp

61. Lightsticks

62. Heirloom Seeds

63. Clorox

64. Wood Socks, Sweaters And Mittens

65. Personal Hygiene Items

66. Ziplock Bags

67. A Watch Or Some Other Way To Tell Time

68. Extra Copies Of Your Financial Records

69. Spare Glasses

70. Prescription Medications

sister,

I have asked the same questions and felt the same promptings of the Spirit of God.

This quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer helps for me. I believe some saints will be "set up" to house other believers who are literally fleeing. And also temporarily housing traveling evangelists who will minister in such a dark hard time.

We must all just do as the Holy Spirit leads us.

"The Christian will be hounded from place to place, subjected to physical assault, maltreatment and death of every kind. We are ap­proaching an age of widespread persecution. Therein lies the true significance of all the movements and conflicts of our age. Our adversaries seek to root out the Christian Church and the Christian faith because they cannot live side by side with us, because they see in every word we utter and every deed we do, even when they are not specifically directed against them, a condemnation of their own words and deeds. They are not far wrong. They suspect too that we are indifferent to their condemnation. Indeed they must admit that it is utterly futile to condemn us. We do not reciprocate their hatred and contention, although they would like it better if we did, and so sink to their own level.”

I believe God is raising up "Joseph's" in our day and I believe He has done this in the past. At the same time Believers have and always will suffer. Our lives are like the alabaster box. When we are broken a sweet ointment (redemptive life) comes out and many are touched.

As Greg said, "we must all do as the Lord leads". Every member of the Body functioning as He has called them to function.

Just like to share some thoughts and a few things from my own experience.
I don't know if the headline is made up a bit to get our attention.
He talks about the "Collapsing Currency" , but if you look at the chart you can see that the CDN has been going down for over 4 years.

Quote: "Canada imports around 80% of its fresh fruits and vegetables".
Most of you probably know TPP will be signed soon, that gives big corporations even more power and we have less say where our food comes from. To grow some fresh stuff is probably a good idea, as long as it is still legal ! My other concern is that if once we need "Food banks " etc to get by we might have to be registered and they want to know all sorts of details as we have already heard from people who needed medical care.

I looked at the list that "preppers " recommend -
60. An LED Headlamp - they are most useful and you get them cheap now! Have at least one for each family member and spare batteries !
Candles can be a bit romantic but they are not very useful and can be a fire risk.
9. Always have the gas tanks in your vehicles at least halfway full - good idea and have a full spare container
55. A Map Of Your Area 56. A Compass, - are only useful if you know how to use them !
30. Do not go around and tell everyone in the area where you live about your prepping - very important.!!
The "prodical sons and daughters " will probably be the first ones to come to your door and ask for "help"
Then there is the "Entitlement Generation" or Millennials !
This is something I have been learning the hard way in the last few years!

How should we prepare and how much?
I can't answer that as all our opinions and circumstances are different.
Those who live in a big City probably need to prepare a bit different from those in the country.
Those who know what happened in Germany on NYE know that civil unrests and unprovoked and coordinated attacks against females are increasing
If you have a family and young daughters then this is probably your first concern.

I would suggest we should be prepared for at least several days, if you want to prepare for a month, fine.
Personally I'm not a "prepper " who prepares for a few years.
(James 4:13-15 )13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit””” 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.

But we could have a natural disaster or Civil unrests, or a "Cyprus style " bank crises etc etc.
I can tell you the first few days of a disaster will be chaotic, people panic etc. Then it is important that you can stay calm and make careful decisions.
Communication with your family and close friends is also important, electronic devices might not work, have a back up plan, some kind of an Assembly Point.

Most importantly, as others mentioned, seek the Lord for His guidance and wisdom and have at least some portions of the written Word handy.

Maranatha ! Your kingdom come !

please don't ever think, that if I don't respond quickly....I have forgotten you, or that your concerns are not mine as well.....when I read a post from a beloved sister such as yourself, I frequently think ponder pray on what the RIGHT words, the LORD wishes me to convey to you, as I feel in my spirit, the perplexing seeking of your spirit in such a matter as this....I just had to let you know this, with the breathing out prayer, Lord, please comfort my sisters soul, bring her shalom peace in Jesus Name, amen....and amen.

its 330 AM, the Lord woke me at 2 AM, and this navy tar coffee I made isn't working...laugh with me!!! to me, you never "ramble".......I fully intend, God willing, to make another post to you on this matter, when my mind and soul move with more zip, BUT as I perused the news of the world, I saw this article, and I had a very clear reading to share these two articles about a dear elderly hermitess in Siberia....she might be Russian orthodox, but I regard her as a Godly woman, alone, elderly in some of the most remote parts of the world.....I pray that these two articles, give you a witness and a Leading.....

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/12/russia-recluse-siberia-stalin-agafia-lykova-documentary

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/15/siberian-hermit-agafia-lykova-russia-airlifted-to-hospital-over-leg-pain

as Lykova testified, and I quote,

"Asked if she ever gets lonely, she says her faith keeps her company. "A Christian can never be lonely. Every Christian has their guardian angel as well as Christ and the Apostles. I have an icon that has been blessed. I am never lonely as I always have Christ with me.”

the icons aside, isn't that truly Wonderful?

its headed into the sub zero temps up here, and Praise God, He gave me a very large porch stacked with the finest firewood.....I just made a fire in the stove....God called me to give active consideration to the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah, and I might shut this machine off, and eat of the Word, before I sleep more.....in Jesus love, your brother, neil

I bought a generator about 7 years ago because a hurricane was coming and it was being reported as a very powerful one. It veered east at the last moments and missed my neighborhood. I was going to take it back but my wife thought I should hold onto it. One month later, we got hit dead on with another hurricane and lost electricity for 8 days. I had about 8 containers of gas (40 gallons) that I filled up and my cars all had full tanks. We also filled the two refrigerators and one freezer before the hurricane hit. I live in a densely treed neighborhood and everyone has 1 or 2 acres. Many pines came crashing down but not a single one on my property.

Since I had 40 gallons of gas that I had bought previous to the hurricane, it kept my generator running which kept my appliances going. We did not use air conditioning. We also only have HDTV antenna so the TV picked up all the channels and we could watch the news. HDTV antenna is a good thing to have. I never could justify cable.

My 80 year old neighbor across the street had a generator but no gas so I shared my gas with he and his wife. After about 3 days I went out looking for some more gas for my neighbor and was able to fill up two of his gas cans. I then would run out every once and a while and get him more gas. We had some very nice candlelight dinners with many neighbors and got to know them really well. They told us about their lives, how they met each other, and other things. My kids loved it. To them we were having a big campout. Another neighbor who had power restored after about 4 days, let us wash our clothes and take hot showers. I had an electric water heater back then, but after the hurricane I switched to gas. Also switched our dryer to gas. Gas was not affected by the hurricane.

With chain saw in hand my boys and I cleared many yards and we were able to keep a lot of red oak wood. So we used the splitter and I must have had wood for the next 5 years. Recently, we cut down some other trees and my wood bin has been restocked.

There are a lot of deer in our neighborhood and if things ever got real bad, I have rifles. A .22 is a good one for squirrels and rabbits. A shotgun is good to have for waterfowl and a more powerful caliber is a good idea for larger game. A 30-30, 270, 30.06 are fine. A .308 would handle anything in North America but is pricey. Even traps are good and you can get small animal traps from ACE Hardware or Tractor Supply. Use them to trap the raccoons that want to eat up your chickens. Pellet guns are very powerful today and if you are averse to getting a firearm, get a pellet gun. I killed a big, burly raccoon with a pellet gun, but you have to hit it just in the right place. Put a scope on it, they are very accurate.

If you live by water, learn to fish. Get a small flat bottom boat. All these things can be a family affair and the kids love camping, hunting and fishing. It teaches them a lot of practical skills. I am trying to get them to love gardening but no luck, yet. :-)

When I did go an get gas about 3 days later, I passed by the large grocery store and there was a line a mile long. I drove close by the store and they were regulating how many people they would let in and watched them closely on the way out. You could only get so much and one thing that I observed was that the shelves were pretty empty and many of the people looked pretty agitated. A lot of people depend solely on store shelves from week to week.

I think there are practical things you can do to be ready for a natural disaster. I would have 1 month's supply of food because you may be sharing it so it will definitely take you down the road for a couple of weeks. Stock up on water. If you have a well, you are in pretty good shape but you will need a generator, too. Some folks in our neighborhood have city water and they never lost it, but it is good to have some on hand in case you do.

I am working on building a root cellar and a greenhouse, now. I have had vegetable gardens and if you are an urban dweller, there are a lot of good sites online for urban gardening. Gardens are good for one very good reason that food is not as good as it used to be (GMO, pesticides, etc).

We are not considered "urban" with the land we have but I have received a lot of inspiration and motivation from The Urban Homestead. Check it out. You won't believe what this family grows on 1/10 of an acre. They use everything.
http://urbanhomestead.org/

The other day, my other neighbor who is a CEO of his own company called me (he was on vacation) and told me a large order would be delivered to his doorstep and asked if I would put it in my garage until he got back. I did do that for him and I also noticed that the boxes were from WISE Foods, in Utah. I thought that was interesting that a CEO was buying emergency food. Must have been a year's worth because it is now just he and his wife. I have not done that yet, but am thinking about getting 3 months, at least. It's not good to let people go hungry.

I hope this encourages someone, a little bit. No matter where you live, you can take quite a few steps to be prepared for a natural disaster, or even worse.

Read this first: http://urbanhomestead.org/about

They produce 7,000lbs of food a year on 1/10 of an acre.

Here is a practical example of why one should keep a backup supply of food, water, candles, propane for a gas heater, etc.

http://www.infowars.com/snowmaggedon2016-empty-store-shelves-as-panicked-shoppers-ransack-grocery-stores/