- Food Banks Canada reveals more than 2 million visits in 2024
- This represents a 6% increase from last year’s record year
- Some food banks are banning first-year international students from taking advantage of them
The HungerCount 2024 report by Food Banks Canada reveals a record-breaking increase in food bank visits, reaching over two million in March 2024, which is 6% higher than the previous year and 90% higher than 2019.
Among those requiring food banks, single people represent the largest demographic, at 41.9%. The next largest demographic is two-parent families, at 22.8%.
Broken down by housing type that rely on food banks, renters are by far the largest group, at 69.5%, followed by those relying on social housing, at 12.8%.
One driver of this increase is the growing number of international students taking advantage of food banks. Some foreign students even go so far as to post videos advising their peers on how easy it is to get free food in Canada.
To tackle the issue, some food banks, such as those in Metro Vancouver, have implemented a new policy that restricts first-year international students from accessing their supply.
Trudeau Liberals get D-
Just shy of an F grade, Food Banks Canada gave Trudeau and his Liberal government a D- in tackling poverty earlier this year, having watched in horror as food bank use skyrockets across the country.
In every province in Canada, Canadians have been decimated by the quick onset of the worsening financial situation. The Counter Signal reported earlier this year that some active military members rely on food banks to survive the cost-of-living crisis.
Furthermore, StatsCan released a report in August showing that 45% of Canadians claim the rising cost-of-living, from groceries, to rent, and everything in between, is “greatly affecting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses.”
Despite these abysmal numbers, the federal Liberals continue to boast that their policies are “working” for Canadians.
