Thunder Bay food bank says it's stretched to 'tipping point' as food bank use in Ontario soars

As the cost of living rises, a Thunder Bay food bank says it can't sustain this level of support and wants governments to do more to support people struggling with affordability.

"The food banking system is at the tipping point," saidVolker Kromm, the executive director of the Thunder Bay Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA).

The RFDA serves around 2,500 unique individuals in Thunder Bay alone, with upwards of 9,000 to 12,000 people across the region in northwestern Ontario, he said.

Kromm said that the cost of providing food is higher, and the RFDA is recieving fewer donor dollars as people have less money to go around-- he's even seen some former donors become reliant on food bank services.

"It's really disheartening to see people who used to donate come to our doors," said Kromm.

While COVID-19 has largely subsided, so, too, have the extra pandemic supports from the government. At the same time, food prices have gone up and the supply chain remains disrupted, Kromm said.

Thunder Bay isn't the only city where food banks are facing increased strain. A report released Monday indicates the number of people who used Ontario food banks went up 38 per cent last year the largest single-year increase recorded by the province's food bank network. Kromm spoke to Members of Ontario's ProvincialParliament as part of the report's delivery.

The new report by Feed Ontario, a collective of hunger relief organizations, says more than 800,000 people in the province turned to emergency food support between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.

Food Bank Canada's Poverty Report Card released this monthgave Ontario a D-for issues of food insecurity, housing costs and social assistance levels. Much of the rest of the country didn't pass with flying colours, either.

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Thunder Bay's food banks are preparing for the holiday food drive season

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It's almost Thanksgiving, and food banks in Thunder Bay are seeing more people come to their doors due to the rising cost of living. But staff and volunteers say donations aren't just needed around the holidays, but year-round.

Distributing food throughout Northern Ontario is also challenging due to geographical factors

"We have a population of about 275,000 in area the size of France," said Kromm. "If you consider the cost of fuel and transportation, getting food to those critical areas is really difficult."

Kromm said he wants to see the federal and provincial governments do more to help people afford the cost of living, saying "there's an erosion of government supports that I think the average person can't rely on anymore."

The reportnotes more workers are turning to food banks, with one in six food bank visitors citing employment as their main source of income in the period covered by the report. That represents a 37 per cent increase over the previous year and an 82 per cent increase over 2016-17, the report says.

"It used to be that having a job meant that you would not need to access a food bank," Feed Ontario's chief executive officer, Carolyn Stewart, wrote in a statement.

"This is no longer the case. Working Ontarians are having trouble earning enough income to afford today's cost of living, even when working multiple jobs or trying to cut expenses."

Kromm said that food banks are intented to be short-term, emergency support for people in dire poverty-- but the rising cost of living has mean more people rely on them for a regular source of food. He said that food banks can't suistain that level of support. Without more government supports they will likely close locations or reduce the amount and quality of food provided.

In terms of supports needed, "basic income would have been a great start," said Kromm. Increasing rates of Ontario Works andOntario Disability Support Program payments would also help some of the most vulnerable afford food.

"I think what's going to be required is a reworking of the relationships between the federal, provincial and municipal governments and a commitment to work with First Nations," said Kromm.