Food Banks Canada has released its annual HungerCount report, and it shows food insecurity is only getting worse. Food bank use across Canada hit another record this year. In March of 2026, food banks across the country had 2.35 million visits. That’s up nearly nine per cent from the same time in 2025. Seven hundred and seventy-five thousand of those visits were children. “Not a surprise, and definitely not records that we are trying to reach. 2.35 million Canadians having to access food banks is not a good news story,” said Danielle McIntyre, executive director at the Interfaith Food Bank. The story is particularly grim in Alberta. Since 2019, food bank use is up 156 per cent. That’s well above the national average of 116 per cent in that same time span. “The need is real that is out there, especially in our community, and we see a lot of the same increases year over year. We’ve had a marked increase over the last five years—quite substantial—and that is reflected in these numbers,” said Tim Rempel, executive director at the Lethbridge Food Bank. Food banks are increasingly seeing working people coming in. Rising costs for food, fuel and housing have pushed more people to the brink. “All of those things affect the people in our community as well, and that drives more people that, even though they may have work, they may have a job, they still can’t quite make it work through the months to be able to feed themselves, so they need support,” Rempel said. These numbers come ahead of the busy holiday season. The weeks leading up to Christmas are the busiest time of year for food banks. They’ll need more help than ever to feed those in need. “It’s becoming more challenging year after year, but at the same time, the season of giving brings out the hope, and we know our community will step up for us if they’re hearing how great the need is, and so we are cautiously optimistic that we’ll be able to meet the need this year,” McIntyre said. Food Banks Canada is calling for reform, including more affordable housing and modernizing employment insurance. It says EI has not kept pace with a workforce increasingly defined by part-time, temporary and contract work, which has led to only a third of unemployed Canadians being eligible for regular benefits.
