'Unprecedented growth' in Canadian food banks prompts calls for it to be a top federal election issue

Kate Bueckert · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 14, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Demand for the services of section nutrient banks has ne'er been higher, and Carolyn McLeod-McCarthy of the Guelph Food Bank says she's disquieted astir the interaction U.S. tariffs volition person connected the section system and workers.

"We're rather tense astir what that's going to mean for being capable to supply nutrient to radical successful need," McLeod-McCarthy told CBC News.

She said the confederate Ontario nutrient slope is seeing much radical needing assistance than ever before.

"The connection unprecedented gets utilized a batch and that's precisely what's happening: unprecedented growth," McLeod-McCarthy said.

Food slope officials and advocates accidental they privation leaders and candidates to marque pledges to extremity nutrient insecurity a apical precedence during the national predetermination campaign.

Over the past year, they've seen an further 1,000 radical question assistance. She said being capable to assistance them each is becoming much of a challenge.

She noted that erstwhile workers at the Cargill meat-processing works successful the metropolis went on strike successful May and June 2024, 200 workers came to the nutrient slope for help.

McLeod-McCarthy said they're disquieted astir larger companies having to halt accumulation oregon laic radical off, and being capable to assistance people.

WATCH | Cambridge Food Bank CEO Dianne McLeod disquieted astir U.S. tariffs:

Concerns astir tariff interaction connected people, jobs

Emily McDonald works for a non-profit successful Guelph. During a caller elector sheet connected CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, she told big Craig Norris she's profoundly acrophobic astir what could hap if a institution similar Linamar had to laic radical off, akin to what has happened astatine the General Motors CAMI Assembly works successful Ingersoll.

Guelph is location to Linamar, 1 of Canada's largest supplier to car plants successful North America.

"We've already seen a request for services accrued since the pandemic, particularly usage among nutrient banks," McDonald said.

"Having the tariffs beryllium specified a immense interaction connected the manufacturing sector, I interest astir having a beardown societal information nett to marque definite that, for folks who are facing layoffs, that they don't person to interest astir putting nutrient connected their tables, they don't person to interest astir being capable to support their lodging and past paying for bills. It's a immense concern."

Jim Jarrell, CEO and president of Linamar, said that for now, the institution is successful a bully presumption due to the fact that the astir caller circular of U.S. tariffs don't interaction car parts.

But connected May 3, that could change. A caller acceptable of tariffs could instrumentality effect that week.

Jarrell told CBC Toronto's Metro Morning if the tariffs persist, the institution volition "have to right-size and bash what we request to do."

'Food insecurity is not a partisan issue'

Food Banks Canada has written an unfastened missive and started a petition asking for run commitments to tackle hunger.

Its CEO, Kirstin Beardsley, said they're seeing "concerning trends" erstwhile it comes to however galore radical request to entree nutrient banks crossed the country.

"Food insecurity is not a partisan issue. It's a captious priority, oregon it should beryllium a captious priority, for each azygous enactment and for our country," Beardsley told CBC Radio's Ontario Morning. 

"What we're asking for the parties to bash is perpetrate to a people of reducing nutrient insecurity by 50 per cent by 2030, and successful bid to marque definite that radical person their basal needs met and that we extremity this nutrient insecurity crisis."

Feed Ontario told CBC News that nutrient slope usage is astatine an all-time high, with much than a cardinal radical — adults and children — relying connected nutrient banks in the province.

In an emailed statement, Feed Ontario said they "echo Food Banks Canada's telephone to action."

"Canada's aboriginal should not see hunger," it said.

Food slope develops usher for voters 

The Food Bank of Waterloo Region has released a usher to assistance radical inquire questions of national candidates related to nutrient security. Found connected the nutrient bank's website, it offers tips connected however radical tin marque nutrient information a precedence n this election, including learning wherever section candidates basal connected this and poverty-related issues.

Food Bank of Waterloo Region CEO Kim Wilhelm said determination are 3 areas they privation to absorption connected successful the lead-up to the April 28 federal election:

• Solve the affordable lodging crisis.
• Help workers connected debased incomes.
• Rebuild Canada's societal information net.

"With nutrient and information astatine grounds levels close present successful Waterloo region, but besides crossed the country, it's captious that our elected leaders perpetrate to solutions that are going to trim hunger successful our communities," Wilhelm told CBC News.

"We truly promote voters to deliberation astir the value of nutrient insecurity and its interaction connected our community, knowing wherever candidates basal connected this, these issues and what the national authorities tin bash to make lasting change," Wilhelm added.

"This is truthful important due to the fact that nutrient banks cannot proceed to run seeing the record-breaking numbers that we are seeing. Our strategy is collapsing."