Food costs in Canada have reached the level of a public health crisis, and with ongoing disruption and uncertainties associated with our largest trading partner, are likely to worsen. Since 2020, grocery prices have increased by nearly 30 percent, and food retail profits have more than doubled relative to pre-pandemic norms (Stanford, 2023; Mouré, 2023). At the same time, food insecurity has accelerated across the country, with approximately 25% of the Canadian population experiencing food insecurity or inadequate access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food (PROOF, 2025). Growing public distrust of Canada’s hegemonic food retail system, where five large chains control over 80 percent of the market, has prompted Canadians to think beyond the corporate big-box grocery model and consider public and community-driven alternative solutions and economic models. On the one hand, calls for publicly funded supermarkets have gained traction in recent years. This shift reflects emerging public discourse on alternative models in the United States and Canada, as political leaders are increasingly proposing a “public option” for food retail (see Patel et al., 2026). On the other hand, social supermarkets or “solidarity stores” have become increasingly prevalent across the social sector in Canada. These non-profit or social economy models are characterized by the sale of wholesale or surplus food and essential goods at heavily discounted and/or sliding-scale prices, with a strong emphasis on local engagement, mutual aid, and addressing unique community needs (Bedore, 2017; Pettman et al., 2024; Wills, 2017). Public grocers and solidarity stores represent underexplored strategies for reducing the burden of food costs and expanding access to nutritionally dense food nationwide. This project examines the range of grocery alternatives that could address Canada’s food price crisis. Bringing together community leaders, practitioners, and food system scholars, this research urges a reimagining and exploration of practical measures that could be used to build more equitable and sustainable food systems and improve food access for Canadians.