First-of-its-kind food insecurity summit in Montreal looks for long-term solutions

Food banks from across Canada say they’re getting visits from 2 million people each month.

Food insecurity is a crisis that is growing across Canada, and the first-ever food insecurity summit in Montreal focused on delivering real solutions.

At the On Rock Community Services in Pierrefonds on the West Island, the stocks of food are low and barely keeping up with demand.

“We’ve never run out, but we have been in a place where we walk around with a bit of a worried face, wondering if we’re going to make it this week,” said president Kim Reid.

Reid said his food bank helps around 300 families in and around the borough, but every week, he sees new faces.

“One week we had 17 registrations,” he said.

Limited supplies mean more “Not This Week” signs go up regularly.

Data from Food Banks Canada shows that more than 2 million people visit a food bank each month, which are numbers that have never been seen before.

“So the stat that really keeps me up at night is that 30 per cent of food banks ran out of food last year before they could meet their community’s needs,” said Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley.

At the Food Insecurity Summit, stakeholders from across the country gathered to find solutions, as food banks face the perfect storm of rising cost of living, lack of supplies and increased hunger.

“The rate that we’re seeing the increase right now is going to be unsustainable in the long term,” said Philanthropy/Food Banks of Quebec director Veronique Beaulieu-Fowler.

The goal of the summit is to cut food insecurity by half in the next five years.

“But we also need to look long-term at reducing the number of people who need food banks in the first place, and that’s going to take government policy and government action,” said Beardsley.

She added that a collective effort will be needed from governments, corporations, non-profits and individuals.

At On Rock Community Services, the staff takes it a day at a time.

“It’s another one of those up-and-down things where sometimes we’re doing great and other times we’re riding the ragged edge of disaster,” said Reid.