Kingston, Ont. declares food insecurity an emergency

CEO of the Ottawa Food Bank Rachael Wilson says they have seen a 90 per cent increase in food bank users since 2019.

City council in Kingston, Ont. has declared food insecurity an emergency in the eastern Ontario city, as food banks see record-breaking demand for assistance.

Councillors unanimously approved a motion from Coun. Brandon Tozzo to declare a food insecurity emergency in Kingston, with the motion calling on the Ontario and federal governments to do more to provide assistance to people in the city and across Ontario.

The motion from Tozzo notes Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health estimates that one in three households in Kingston are food insecure.

“Food insecurity is defined as the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints, a marker of pervasive material deprivation (poverty), and posing a serious public health problem because of its association with higher rates of numerous diseases and chronic health conditions and a higher risk of early death,” Tozzo’s motion says.

The councillor says the cost-of-living crisis, precarious work and “acute shocks like COVID-19, illness or eviction, make it more difficult to afford life’s basic needs and live free from poverty.”

“Current social assistance rates are woefully inadequate, making it impossible to afford a healthy diet.”

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The motion calls on Kingston council to ask the Ontario government to “immediately raise” social assistance rates and increase base funding to existing school food programs. The motion, seconded by Kingston deputy mayor Gregory Ridge, also urges he federal and Ontario governments to establish a Guaranteed Liveable Basic Income to “address the causes of food insecurity.”

Tozzo tells CTV News Ottawa many residents are facing food insecurity.

“It’s not knowing where your next meal is coming from or having to choose between paying rent, paying your hydro bill and food,” Tozzo said.

“This is very strong language. And the reason why we’re doing this is we’re trying to advocate to upper levels of government, both the province and the federal government, to take dramatic action on addressing food insecurity.”

The rise of food insecurity has put unprecedented pressure on local food banks, like Partners in Mission Food Bank in Kingston.

Executive Director Dan Irwin tells CTV News Ottawa they have given out a record number of food hampers for four years in a row.

In 2024, they gave out 20,355 hampers to 9,131 people in the Kingston area, which is 10.2 per cent more than in 2023. Hampers provide seven days worth of food.

Irwin says over 2,800 children were included in the total, up nearly 1,000 from the previous year.

“The increase is really putting a lot of pressure on us. We’ve had to get more volunteers,” Irwin explains.

“We’re really hoping declaring a food insecurity emergency will improve awareness that there’s issues,” he adds.

In November, Mississauga city council declared food insecurity an emergency. The motion called on Ontario to improve social assistance programs and invest in “affordable, supportive and public housing.”

The Ottawa Food Bank is calling on the City of Ottawa to declare food insecurity a crisis as it sees a spike in demand for services. The food bank announced last week it is cutting donations to its 98 food programs by up to 50 per cent this year due to rising food costs and the increased demand.

Partners in Mission hasn’t had to cut back on donations like the Ottawa Food Bank.

“We feel very fortunate to be in Kingston. Kingstonians have been very generous,” Irwin says. “And because of their generosity of food, monetary donations and volunteers, we’ve been able to keep up with this rising demand.”

The meeting for Kingston city council begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday.