In Kingston, Ontario, which has a population of about 140,000, one in three households is experiencing food insecurity. The problem is so severe that the members of the city council declared food insecurity an emergency during last week’s council meeting.
Things are similarly dire at the nearby Ottawa Food Bank: CEO Rachael Wilson says that her organization, which has a 51,000-square-foot warehouse, is having trouble keeping up with demand. It’s so strapped for supplies that it has been forced to turn people away and even close their doors for a few days each month.
Her situation is playing out across the country. Last March alone, two million Canadians visited food banks—a staggering 90 per cent increase from 2019. And, remarkably, one in five users has a steady job. For Maclean’s, Wilson describes what she’s up against and what needs to change to prevent millions of Canadians from going hungry.
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—Sarah Fulford, editor-in-chief, Maclean’s
