Climate Action Dividend Cheques

E-mails in circulation are warning people they might not get the province's $100 Climate Action Dividend cheque if they do not apply.

For the vast majority of people -- about 95 per cent -- that e-mail is wrong.

You will automatically get the cheque, but if everybody starts sending in forms unnecessarily, it will only affect the smooth distribution of the money.

Most British Columbians have already applied through other means.

You do not need to apply if you filled out a 2006 or 2007 income tax return. For two parent families that means both parents filing returns.

You also do not need to apply if you receive the Canada Child Tax Benefit -- the money received from the federal government every month for children.

However, there are certain cases where people need to apply for the Climate Action Dividend.

You need to apply if you didn't file an income tax return in either 2006 or 2007. If you have children but your income is too high to receive the federal child tax benefit, you'll have to apply for your children to receive the money.

The advice from the provincial government is if you are unsure whether you'll get the cheque or not, don't fill out any forms until you see what you get by the end of next month.

If it is not the full amount, fill out an online application from the provincial government website. You have two years to fill out the forms.

Children born in 2008 do not qualify for the money. The cut off is December 31, 2007.

Food Reality Check

Is your grocery bill taking a bigger bite out of your income these days?

This week, CTV consumer reporter Chris Olsen will be looking at the different reasons your food is costing you more and what you can do about it.

He begins with a look at the basics: rice.

It has been hit with rising world prices after a wide spread crop failure. In some countries it has sparked shortages, rationing and even riots.

Restaurant owner Randy Lum has been feeling the squeeze at his sushi restaurant in Vancouver.

"$20 a bag to as much as $35 now and they did warn us it they expect it to go up past 40 bucks," he said of his daily rice deliveries.

"In the short run I think we'll absorb the cost. In the long run it does get passed onto the consumer eventually," he said.

And to prevent hording, the supplier is rationing Lum's rice. He can only buy five bags of rice per order. And a busy day the Eatery Restaurant can use all five bags.

Rice is just one example of many commodities that are on the rise.

"Bread, for example, is up around 10 per cent over a year ago, pasta is up around 26 per cent. Flour is another example around 8 per cent," explained Dave Wilkes, the vice president of the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors.

Wilkes says it is fortunate in Canada we don't live on rice, or bread or pasta alone. While all those items are on the rise, Canada's overall food bill doesn't.

So far it's risen only about one per cent, but some prediction a rise of three to four per cent is on the way.

"I don't want to leave people with the impression that they can't expect to pay a little more for their groceries over the next several months," warns Wilkes.

Canadians still have one of the most affordable grocery baskets in the world, in part due to competition between stores.

And not everything is going up. While you may see prices rise in much of the cereal aisle, oat prices have not risen, giving you a chance to switch to save money.

And imported fresh fruits and vegetables from California haven't gone up - and that's even with higher fuel costs to get them here.

"Compared to last year, the cost is actually lower," says Dean Robertson of Stong's grocery in Vancouver.

Last year, California had frost -- this year it didn't -- leading to a larger harvest. And that may be a lesson for this food crisis: What happens one year is can be reversed the next.

"These shortages are temporary, and we'll adjust," concludes Lum.

Another factor in Canada's favour is our strong dollar. It has acted like a buffer causing the price we paid for many imported items to fall. But if those big dollar gains are over -- we'll start to notice higher prices at the grocery check out.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen