Four new pricing changes coming April 1 could soon affect your bottom dollar. One will be unavoidable, one could affect your vacation plans, one may make you reconsider writing that letter while yet another may make you stick to Advil.
BC Hydro rates will increase nine per cent. That will mean an average increase of about $8 for residential customers and $20 for small commercial customers. The average monthly bill will go from $89 to $97 for households.
The BC Ministry of Transportation's decision to increase fares and make cuts to BC Ferries will be implemented April 1. Seniors will no longer have free fares (from Monday-Thursday) as they must now pay half the cost of a ticket. Overall, normal fares will increase by four per cent, or about 60 cents to go between the mainland and Vancouver Island. Same day reservations will go from $18.50 to $22. The province also noted that there would be $18.9 million in service cuts, starting April 28.
Canada Post stamps bought individually will now cost $1, up 37 per cent from the usual 63 cents per stamp. Booklets of stamps will now cost 85 cents per stamp. The changes are part of a reform to make the federal carrier more competitive.
Meanwhile medical marijuana from business such as the one in Richmond could temporarily increase the rate of marijuana, currently $5 per gram. Under new regulations by Health Canada medical marijuana must be produced and sold by licences business (although a court ruling has temporarily allowed existing growers to continue). Health Canada projected the initial free-market costs for legal medical marijuana to be over $5. But marijuana proponent Dana Larsen believes that could eventually fall and actually lead to an over saturated market - and lower prices.
