Ontario food banks have recorded their highest usage on record, with more than one million people relying on emergency food support in the past year. Feed Ontario’s annual Hunger Report, released Monday, shows 1,007,441 people made nearly 8.7 million visits between April 2024 and March 2025, marking the ninth consecutive year of rising demand. Visits are up one per cent from last year, but the long-term trend is far more alarming: food bank use has climbed eighty-seven per cent since 2020.
Feed Ontario CEO Carolyn Stewart says the numbers highlight how food insecurity is expanding far beyond meal shortages, touching nearly every aspect of life, including housing stability, health, and community well-being. She warns that the report must serve as a wake-up call for governments and policymakers. When people’s basic needs are unmet, she says, trust in institutions collapses and communities weaken. Increasingly, people who rely on food banks are turning to them more often; many now visit nine to ten times a year, up from five to six visits in the past.
The data outlines how deeply food insecurity is rooted across the province. More than three-quarters of food bank users are renters and sixty-one per cent rely on social assistance. Nearly a quarter are employed, revealing the extent to which wages have failed to keep up with costs. Children make up twenty-nine per cent of all food bank users. And while fewer people are making their first visit compared to last year, the overall number of visits continues to rise because those already struggling are relying on food support for longer periods.
Reports from communities across Ontario reflect the same worsening pattern. In Cochrane, officials declared a food insecurity emergency after demand more than doubled in just three years. The Ottawa Food Bank has recorded almost 600,000 visits in 2025, and the Food Bank of Waterloo Region recently reported its highest numbers ever, with more than 622,000 hamper program visits. Many food banks say they are serving residents who never imagined seeking emergency assistance, including families with two incomes, newcomers and people with full-time jobs who are simply unable to keep pace with rising costs.
Food insecurity is also reshaping living conditions. Some households are sacrificing internet and basic services to afford groceries, while others are losing their homes altogether. Local organizations report that many clients would face homelessness without the support of food banks, redirecting the money saved on groceries toward rent and utilities. On Manitoulin Island, service providers say the region’s scenic reputation masks widespread under-housing and homelessness.
The growing crisis is having serious implications for the health-care system. Public health officials warn that inadequate access to nutritious food increases the risk of chronic diseases, infectious illnesses, injury and mental health challenges. Registered dietitian Vanessa Hurley notes that food insecurity fuels a cycle of poor health outcomes, deepening poverty and placing further strain on hospitals already stretched thin.
For volunteers and staff on the front lines, the work is about more than distributing food. In Guelph, community worker Mike O’Dah ziibing Ashkewe says food programs also provide connection and dignity, especially for people who feel isolated or stigmatized. He describes how spending time with visitors, talking with them and doing activities together can be just as important as the meals themselves.
Despite enormous efforts by food banks and community groups, there is growing fear that the need may soon exceed the system’s capacity. Leaders say 2026 will likely bring even higher demand as economic instability persists. Many food banks are fundraising more aggressively and forming new partnerships, but some warn that without additional support, they face the unthinkable prospect of turning people away.
The Hunger Report makes one message clear: rising food insecurity is no longer a temporary issue — it is becoming a structural crisis touching every corner of Ontario, with long-term consequences for health, housing and community resilience.
