The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that the Iran war has increased pressure on consumer prices in Canada's North. The Globe's Susan Krashinsky Robertson reports that grocery prices are already high in these communities, and rising fuel costs significantly impact northern retailers, especially where perishable goods must be flown in. "Food security in the North is a real issue facing families in every one of the communities we serve, and the problem is only being exacerbated by these high immediate fuel costs," said North West's Mike Beaulieu. Retailers in the North are seeing similar increases in inbound costs as other Canadian grocers. For example, The Globe reported last week that Maple Leaf Foods is among the suppliers informing retailers of a surcharge on its deliveries to their warehouses. A temporary charge is due to rising transportation costs from global energy supply disruptions amid the Iran war. North West also received a notice from Maple Leaf and anticipates similar actions from other suppliers. But what is different from the southern grocers is the magnitude of the increase in outbound shipping costs from the retailers' distribution centres to remote communities, Mr. Beaulieu said.