FOOD

The exorbitant cost of food will have ripple effects on the restaurant industry and grocery stores. The good news? There's a plan to save the country's salmon supply.

1 The End of Sea Farms Could Save Canada's Salmon

The West Coast's wild salmon stock has plummeted by as much as 85 per cent in the past 50 years. One major culprit? The proximity of commercial fish farms to salmon river runs, which can drastically shrink wild fish populations due to the spread of chemicals and parasites (hello, sea lice). This year, B.C. will begin a fiveyear process to phase out the $1.5-billion open-net salmon farming industry.

The plan is to transition to land-based aquaculture, where fish swim happily in purified water tanks, far away from their wild brethren.

2 The Michelin Guide Will Come to Quebec

In 2025, three years after sprinkling a handful of Toronto restaurants with its prestigious stars, the Michelin Guide is expanding its Canadian presence into Quebec-the guide's secret tasters are currently gobbling their way through La Belle Province. The expansion is a symbiotic arrangement between Michelin and various Quebec tourism boards: Destination Québec cité has coughed up $100,000 to cover the critics' meals and hotel stays, while the Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions is contributing $450,000 over three years.

3 The Grocery Code of Conduct Will Come Into Effect

In Canada, two companies control half of the grocery market: Loblaw, whose subsidiaries include No Frills, Fortinos and Real Canadian Superstore; and Empire, which owns Sobeys, FreshCo and Farm Boy. That gives them the power to charge suppliers fees to keep their products on shelves and to bargain for lower prices. The Grocery Code of Conduct, set to come into effect in 2025, will require grocery chains to stick to specific rules about fees, which could boost competition and foster a fairer relationship between stores and suppliers.