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[BUSINESS] · Canada · 9 sources

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Part of situation: Food insecurity and food bank usage in Canada (2 clusters)

Canada food bank visits reach record 2.35 million monthly

Food Banks Canada HungerCount 2026 food insecurity cost of living Canada economy

Food Banks Canada’s 2026 HungerCount report reveals that monthly food bank visits in Canada reached a record 2.35 million in March 2026. This represents an 8.7% increase from 2025 and a 117% rise since 2019. The report highlights a growing trend of food insecurity among working individuals, with 18% of clients being employed, up from 12.2% in 2019.

Children represent approximately one-third of all visits, totaling nearly 776,000 monthly visits. Economic pressures, including a 30% increase in food prices, a 28% rise in housing costs, and a 24% increase in transportation costs since 2021, are cited as primary drivers. Many clients are forced to make impossible trade-offs between food and essential needs like rent.

Regional data shows significant demand across the country. Ontario recorded 846,724 visits, while Quebec reported 785,889. British Columbia saw 250,505 visits, and Alberta recorded 230,196. In Quebec specifically, Food Banks of Quebec reported fulfilling 3.27 million requests monthly, with 14% of community organizations having to turn people away due to shortages.

Food Banks Canada is calling for federal economic reforms, including modernizing Employment Insurance, doubling the Canada Workers Benefit, and investing $500 million into food bank infrastructure.

Entities

Alexandre Lebel · British Columbia · Canada · Food Banks Canada · Food Banks of Quebec · Kirstin Beardsley

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Sources

Canada’s 2026 HungerCount finds millions of people in Canada face impossible trade-offs [westerngrocer.com]
Alberta sees an increase in food bank visits since pandemic: Food Banks Canada [edmonton.citynews.ca]
Le Bilan-Faim 2026 | 137 212 demandes d'aide chaque mois en Mauricie-Centre-du-Québec [monlatuque.com]
Canadian food bank use hits 2.3 million monthly visits due to grocery costs, report finds [vancouver.citynews.ca]
Food bank visits in Canada reach record 2.35 million as cost-of-living crisis deepens [horizonweekly.ca]
The number of people using food banks continues to rise in Quebec [www.mtlblog.com]
Canadians made a record 2.35 million food bank visits in March 2026 [thehub.ca]
Canadians are visiting food banks in record-breaking numbers | Daily Hive | National [dailyhive.com]
The number of people using food banks continues to rise in Quebec [www.narcity.com]