Canada's hot inflation takes center stage in election campaign

FILE PHOTO: A woman looks on as she walks past cordoned off aisles of non-essential goods at a Walmart store in Toronto, Ontario, Canada April 8, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Osorio

OTTAWA (Reuters) -At the gas pumps and in the grocery store, on their utility bills and especially when looking for housing, Canadians are feeling the pinch of red-hot inflation and that could hurt the ruling Liberals in an upcoming federal election.

Canada's annual inflation rate accelerated to 3.7% in July, its fastest clip since May 2011, data showed on Wednesday, beating analyst estimates and prompting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's rivals to pounce.