Advertisement

Holiday scams to watch out for; Prepare to pay more for groceries in 2020: Marketplace consumer cheat sheet

Miss something this week? Don't panic. CBC's Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need.

Want this in your inbox? Get the Marketplace newsletter every Friday.

4 scams to watch out for this holiday season

The RCMP says the incidence of scams tends to rise in December, but we've got you covered. Be on the lookout for SIM swapping scams, online shopping deals that seem too good to be true, loan scams and calls from people claiming to be Service Canada representatives.

Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

Get ready to spend more on groceries next year

The average Canadian family will pay up to an extra $487 for food next year, according to an annual report that highlights climate change as a big culprit for rising prices, especially in the produce department. "We're deliberately pointing out that, you know: climate change is causing the droughts, is causing the bad snowstorms that's impacting prices," says Simon Somogyi, lead researcher from Ontario's University of Guelph.

Jason Reed/Reuters
Jason Reed/Reuters

Nova Scotia outlaws flavoured e-cigarettes and juices. Is your province next?

The move, which makes Nova Scotia the first province in the country to ban flavoured vaping products, will come into effect on April 20. Nova Scotia Health Minister Randy Delorey believes it's a good first step, and one that will help contribute to a reduction in the number of youth vaping.

Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

Organ transplants are increasing ... but so is the wait list

As transplant technology improves and Canada's population ages, more people are opting for organ transplants, says the Canadian Institution for Health Information (CIHI), and this increased demand is leading to longer waiting times for patients in need. Last year, according to CIHI, more than 200 people died while waiting for an organ transplant.

Robert Short/CBC
Robert Short/CBC

What else is going on?

Canadian communities are tapping into greener ways to heat and cool buildings. District energy systems are increasingly being adopted as a way to provide a greener, more efficient, more reliable source of heat.

The road to vaping. Less than two years ago, the federal government officially welcomed the vaping industry to Canada. The belief among policy-makers and public health experts was that e-cigarettes were safer than combustible cigarettes and would help smokers kick their habit. That's not what happened.

Potato prices rising in the wake of poor harvests. Cold and wet weather in North America this fall is driving up the price of potatoes.

Uber received more than 3,000 reports of sexual assaults in the U.S. in 2018. The report comes as Uber is under pressure from regulators in many cities, including London, which recently rescinded the company's licence to carry passengers over a "pattern of failures" on safety and security.

The latest in recalls

Marketplace needs your help!

Dave Laughlin/CBC
Dave Laughlin/CBC

Do you have a story about getting a major appliance repaired? We want to hear from you. Fill out this survey and share your experience with us.

Watch Marketplace on CBC TV, and catch up on past episodes on Gem and on YouTube.