A volunteer organizes supplies inside the storeroom of St. Philip Neri’s Table Food Bank at St. Philip Neri Church in Toronto on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. The Canadian Press
Ontario’s food bank system faces an alarming crisis as more residents turn to emergency food assistance. A new national report reveals that over 760,000 people use food banks each month across the province, a staggering 125 per cent increase since 2019. Experts say the situation has reached an unsustainable point.
Food Banks Canada shared its annual HungerCount report this week, painting a bleak picture of growing hunger and financial strain. “It just speaks to how many folks in the most populous province in Canada are struggling to make ends meet,” said Kirstin Beardsley, the organization’s CEO. She added, “Food banks were never designed to be a backbone of the social safety net.”
Demand at Record Levels
Across Canada, food bank visits reached nearly 2.2 million in March 2025. That figure is five per cent higher than last year and almost double what it was before the pandemic. Beardsley said the growing number of working people needing food banks shows how deeply affordability issues have spread.
In Ontario, about 14 per cent of food bank users are employed but still unable to afford essentials. Another 20 per cent rely on social assistance, 21 per cent report no income, and roughly 20 per cent receive disability-related benefits. “People who have jobs are still visiting food banks,” Beardsley explained. “They just don’t have enough left after paying for rent and bills.”
Seniors and Families Feeling the Strain
Beardsley said the organization has also seen a sharp rise in food bank use among families and seniors. “We are seeing more dual-parent families and more seniors relying on food banks. That’s a pretty scary indicator,” she noted. Many seniors live on fixed incomes that no longer stretch far enough to cover rising costs.
Inflation adds even more pressure. Statistics Canada reported that while overall inflation sits at 2.4 per cent, food prices are climbing at nearly double that rate. Fresh vegetables have gone up by almost two per cent, sugar by nine per cent, and meat by over 11 per cent.
Food Banks Near Breaking Point
Beardsley warned that many food banks have started cutting back on how much they can provide. “Some have run out of food before they meet the full demand,” she said. “A system of community organizations can’t just absorb infinite growth.”
The rising cost of housing has made the situation worse. Rent for a two-bedroom apartment in cities like Toronto now averages $2,690. Many Ontarians spend over 70 per cent of their income on housing alone. “If you’re paying that much in rent, you don’t have enough left for food,” Beardsley said.
Children make up a heartbreaking portion of food bank users. More than 228,000 Ontario children rely on food banks each month. “It’s heartbreaking when you think about kids going to school hungry,” Beardsley said.
Food Banks Canada is urging the federal government to act quickly by introducing a grocery and essentials benefit and reforming employment insurance to help prevent families from falling into poverty.
