Ontario food bank use up for eighth consecutive year

More than 7.6 million visits during year ending March 31, report finds

- ANDY TAKAGI

Even with rate cuts and easing inflation, nearly one in 14 Ontarians are still going hungry.

Just over one million people visited a food bank in Ontario over the past year — an increase of 25 per cent from last year — a new report from Feed Ontario has found. They combined for more than 7.6 million visits to food banks between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024 and it marks the eighth consecutive year food bank use in the province has gone up.

Feed Ontario, a network of 1,200 food banks and other organizations that address food insecurity, released the report on Monday.

It’s very likely this is the first time ever that food bank use has crossed one million in Ontario — “I never thought I would see this day,” Carolyn Stewart, CEO of Feed Ontario, said.

“What we find so shocking about it is that we continue to try and call people to action, and the problem continues to get worse,” she added.