Food bank usage up 11% in Windsor-Essex as poverty rates climb across nation
A new poverty report card from Food Banks Canada shows most of the country is on the edge of failure as poverty rates continue to climb.
They’re giving Canada a grade of ‘D minus’ as nearly half of all Canadians are feeling the financial pinch of the cost of living.
“This isn't a report card you want to take home to your parents,” said Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley.
According to the report, one in four Canadians is experiencing food insecurity and 44 per cent feel financially worse off than last year.
“That scares me. We know that when times get tough economically, people who are low income people who are struggling to make ends meet, deal with that for a lot longer,” said Beardsley.
The province received a failing grade on housing costs, with the average family spending 46 per cent of their income on housing when most would recommended spending no more than 30 per cent of gross income on housing.
“That's almost half of what you're earning, so what is left to buy food?” asked June Muir, the CEO of the Unemployed Help Centre Hub of Opportunities. “And that's why food banks are feeling the struggles that we're feeling.”
Muir, who is also the president of the Windsor-Essex Food Bank Association, said 211,331 people visited a food bank in Windsor-Essex in 2023, marking an 11 per cent increase over 2022.
But the staggering stat, she said, is the 10,596 new clients who came looking for food in 2023, which represents a 27 per cent increase from 2022.
All of this, Muir said, is straining the food bank supply at a time when demand is at record levels.
“We're not the answer to poverty. And, you know, our only hope is that governments will work together,” said Muir.
It’s a call to action being magnified Wednesday by Food Banks Canada.
“It's not just saying things are bad. It's not just a complaint. It's saying hey, and we're willing to show up and work with you on solutions as well,” said Beardsley.
The organization is looking for the province and federal government to work together and adopt poverty reduction targets of up to 50 per cent by 2030, modernize Ontario Works and ODSP payments to better sync up with inflation and invest more heavily in affordable housing.
“It's unsustainable. And at what point are we going to hit that that wall were no longer able to serve the growth?” Beardsley said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Oilers force Game 7 of Stanley Cup final with 5-1 win over Panthers
The Oilers are one win from history. The Panthers are one loss from infamy. Zach Hyman scored his playoff-leading 16th goal and Stuart Skinner made 20 saves as Edmonton defeated Florida 5-1 on Friday to force Game 7 in the Stanley Cup final.
Where is Louis Riel? Heritage Minute of Métis leader quietly removed
A decision to quietly remove a decades-old Heritage Minute on Louis Riel has left some in the Métis community scratching their heads, as questions are raised about how Canada's history is portrayed.
Heritage minister views next election as a referendum on Canadian cultural reforms
Minister of Canadian Heritage Pascale St-Onge says the next federal election could become a referendum on Canadian culture and the trio of legislative measures the Liberals have advanced to try to protect it.
Billionaire businessman James K. Irving dead at 96
The family of Canadian billionaire businessman James K. Irving has announced his death at the age of 96, just over a month after the death of his younger brother, Arthur.
'Reckless in the extreme': Lamborghini driver convicted for crash while passing Toronto streetcar
A Lamborghini driver who tried to pass a Toronto streetcar at three times the speed limit, striking several parked cars and totalling his own vehicle, has been found guilty of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
Pedestrian killed on Hwy. 97 following bus crash that caused 'numerous' injuries
A pedestrian was struck and killed on Highway 97 in the B.C. Interior early Friday afternoon as emergency crews were responding a school bus crash that caused “numerous” injuries to those on board.
4 people found dead in southwestern Ontario town of Harrow
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after four people were found dead in the town of Harrow, just south of Windsor. Officers were called to a residence on County Road 13 at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
4 members of a billionaire family get prison in Switzerland for exploiting domestic workers
An Indian-born billionaire and three family members were sentenced to prison on Friday for exploiting domestic workers at their lakeside villa in Switzerland by seizing their passports, barring them from going out and making them work up to 18 hours a day.
MP Marco Mendicino spat on by man in Ottawa
A video circulating online shows MP and former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino get spat on while on his way into a government building in Ottawa.