Food bank usage in Ontario hits record high

Food bank debate in Windsor-Essex Provincial food bank report has ignited a political debate in Windsor-Essex.

A report from Feed Ontario says the number of people relying on food banks across the province has reached unprecedented levels.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, the agency says 1,001,150 Ontarians visited a food bank—an increase of 25 per cent from the previous year.

“One million people represents one million Ontarians not having enough food to eat,” Feed Ontario CEO Carolyn Stewart told members of the media Tuesday. "One million people having to make impossible choices between paying their rent and buying groceries for their family."

The report has ignited a political debate in Windsor-Essex.

Windsor West NDP MPP Lisa Gretzky blamed provincial policies for the rising demand.

“It’s a story that none of us want to see in Ontario. Things are going in the wrong direction,” said Gretzky.

Windsor-Tecumseh PC MPP Andrew Dowie argued the federal government also needs to act.

“We need support from the federal government, who should recognize that making things more expensive hurts the people of our community,” said Dowie.

Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada, said the numbers are overwhelming but stressed the importance of seeing the real lives behind the statistics.

“We’re not talking about numbers today. We’re talking about real people with real stories walking through our doors,” said Beardsley.