The province’s year-over-year inflation rate crept up 1% in April, up from 0.5% in March as the cost of energy products jumped 10.9%.
Excluding energy, the overall increase in the consumer price index (CPI) would have been just 0.1%.
Transportation costs rose 4% with prices for private transportation increasing 5% as gasoline prices jumped 12.7%. Prices for public transportation continued to decline (-3.7%).
Fuel oil (+18.6%), water (+11%), electricity (+9.0%) and natural gas (+7.0%) were all notably pricier than in April 2009.
Inflation rates in Vancouver (+1.4%) were slightly higher than the B.C. average in April. Victoria (+0.4%) was below the province average.
B.C.’s CPI was below the national average of 1.8%.
The year-over-year inflation rate climbed in every province, most notably in the four Atlantic provinces.
Pronounced increases in gasoline prices (+16.3%) and the cost of purchasing a passenger vehicle (+5.3%) were among the main sources of upward pressure on the national average.