February CPI jumps

Yellowknife (Mar 22/00) - The cost of living in Yellowknife was up in February compared to the same month a year ago, according to Statistics Canada numbers released last week by the NWT Bureau of Statistics.

The all-items consumer price index for February was 1.9 per cent higher than a year earlier.

Despite the increase, the cost of living in Yellowknife still rose at a slower rate than in Edmonton and Whitehorse and compared to the national average.

When comparing February to January, the cost of living in Yk rose .3 per cent.

Driving prices higher in February compared to the previous month were higher costs for clothing, transportation, fuel and other travel services as well as entertainment equipment and served alcohol. Statistics Canada said costs for children's clothing, footwear, vegetables and some household products were lower.