Overview
- Feed Ontario reports more than one million people made an estimated 8.7 million visits to food banks between April 2024 and March 2025, marking a ninth straight record year.
- Food Banks BC says 24.4% of residents—about 1.3 million people—are experiencing food insecurity, with March 2025 users up 9% from last year and visits up sharply since before the pandemic.
- Children account for roughly 29–31% of clients, and about one in four visitors report employment income, underscoring the impact of high costs outpacing wages.
- A survey of 140 Ontario food banks found two-thirds fear they cannot sustain operations over the next six months, half worry they will run short of food, and one-third expect to reduce or pause services.
- Local agencies describe escalating pressure, with Toronto’s Parkdale Community Food Bank serving 17,000 people in October and the Ottawa Food Bank reporting 588,000 visits over the past year, as calls grow for wage, housing and income-support reforms, including support for Indigenous food sovereignty.