Statistics Canada reports this country's consumer price index rose 1% in September from a year earlier, down from the 1.3% annual rate in August, because of deeper decline in gasoline prices in September.
However, the agency adds, food prices soared, as the low loonie pushed up fresh vegetable prices by 11.5% and the rise in meat prices hit 4.4%. Overall, food prices were up 3.5% from a year ago.
Gasoline prices fell 18.8% from this time last year, StatsCan
Core inflation, the inflation rate without the effect of volatile products such as gasoline and food, stood at 2.1%, the same increase seen in August. This is a key measure, closely watched by the Bank of Canada when it makes its decisions about interest rates.
The central bank's target for core inflation is 2%, and seeing CPI at or above that level should forestall any rate cuts by the bank and even push it to move sooner on a rate hike, depending on when the U.S. Federal Reserve moves to lift its benchmark rate.
Weak growth in the Canadian economy is pulling the Bank of Canada in a different direction, as its recent report on the economy highlighted.
The temporary factor is the low Canadian dollar, which Statistics Canada data shows pushed up the price of back-to-school shopping in September.
The recreation, education and reading index increased by 2.5%, and clothing and footwear were up 1.2% Tuition costs rose an average of 2.8%.
