A cart overflowing with pre-filled bags of food during a Thanksgiving food drive in Ottawa in this file photo from 2023. Food Banks Canada says worsening food insecurity and unemployment rates drove this year’s failing grade.
A cart overflowing with pre-filled bags of food during a Thanksgiving food drive in Ottawa in this file photo from 2023. Food Banks Canada says worsening food insecurity and unemployment rates drove this year’s failing grade.
Millions of Canadians continue to struggle with a ballooning affordability crisis as unemployment worsens, according to a new report.
In , the charity Food Banks Canada gave the country an F when it comes to the state of food insecurity, poverty and unemployment. But the country’s overall grade was slightly higher, a D, thanks to what the charity described as “legislative progress” from the federal government.
“People are struggling with housing affordability and inadequate social supports,” said Richard Matern, director of research at Food Banks Canada. “However, there’s also positive glimmers from newly introduced government programs.”
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This is the second year in a row that Food Banks Canada has given Canada an F for poverty and food insecurity. According to data from Statistics Canada — which Food Banks Canada used to determine its failing grades — more than 10 per cent of Canadians are experiencing poverty, while more than one in four are food insecure.
Meanwhile, unemployment dropped down to an F for the first time this year, from a D- in 2024 and D+ in 2023. The report card notes that this rise in unemployment has mostly affected young people, who are currently facing some of the highest rates of joblessness in nearly 10 years outside of the pandemic.
Although Tuesday’s report is focused on national data, Matern said he would expect to find similar statistics if Food Banks Canada looked at Ontario specifically.
Last year, , Ontario earned an overall grade of D-, with Fs for poverty, food insecurity and unemployment.
“Everyone is struggling,” Matern said, noting that part of Tuesday’s report was based on a survey of 10,000 Canadians conducted in March.
Despite the failing grades, Marten pointed to the new federal Build Canada Homes agency that is aiming build thousands of affordable homes on federal land; the Dental Care Plan that is aiming to provide free dental care to many Canadians; and the Canada Disability Benefit, which provides a monthly payment to low-income disabled people, as signs Ottawa is making some progress at addressing the country’s affordability crisis.
He also said the National School Food Program — from which Ontario received funding in 2024 to provide free lunch to an additional 160,000 children — has also helped alleviate the stress on people’s wallets.
Still, Matern cautioned that many more supports are needed, describing these signs of progress as “fragile positive indicators.” He said he’s hopeful that Parliament, which resumed sitting on Monday, will continue the work of past governments.
“We’re at a crossroads in Canada,” Matern said. “We’ve seen these programs newly introduced and announced and we now not just have to make sure there’s follow-through to them.”
Nathan Bawaan is a Toronto-based general assignment reporter for
the Star. Reach him via email: nbawaan@thestar.ca
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