TORONTO - Canadians continue to struggle with the high cost of living, with monthly food bank visits up nearly nine per cent this year compared to last. According to Food Banks Canada’s annual HungerCount report, food bank visits have soared to 2.35 million per month in 2026, a 117 per cent increase from 2019. “(This) is the story of what happens when millions of people are out of options,” said Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley. “In the past, most people in Canada could absorb a small financial setback… those days are over. Canada’s bleak new reality is that millions of people are making impossible trade-offs every day as they choose between food or rent,” she said. Food bank visits are up in every province and territory except Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. The most populous provinces saw the most visits, with 846,724 in Ontario (a nearly 11 per cent increase), 785,889 in Quebec (up 5 per cent) and 250,505 visits in British Columbia (a 14 per cent increase). “This does not have to be Canada’s story,” said Beardsley, who is calling on all governments to act. Among the recommendations in this year’s report are changes to employment insurance (EI) to include non-traditional occupations such as gig work and review eligibility thresholds; doubling the Canada Workers Benefit; enhancing the Disability Tax Credit (DTC); reviewing federal social assistance; and investing in critical infrastructure, including affordable housing. The report also calls for more investment in Canada’s north, where food bank visits are up sharply compared to last year: 24 per cent in Yukon and 29 per cent in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Food Bank Canada releases its HungerCount study every year, compiling data from more than 5,500 food banks and community organizations across the country. The report found the cost of basic necessities has soared since 2021. Food prices have increased nearly 30 per cent, housing is up 28 per cent and transportation has risen nearly 24 per cent. The rising cost of living has driven more employed Canadians to food banks. The report found that nearly one in five clients is employed, up from one in 10 in 2019.
