'Everyone is needing help': Northern Ontario food banks say their numbers are higher than ever

Food banks in northeastern Ontario saythey're feeding more people than ever before, and many of them are first-time users.

The North Bay Food bank had 171 new registrants in all of 2022, said executive director Debbie Marson.

From January to October 2023, there were 299 new users at the food bank.

"This is telling me that everyone is needing help," Marson said.

"Like when we listen to people's stories, they're working households, they're trying to make ends meet with the rising cost of everything, you know, food, utilities, housing. They just can't make ends meet on a regular basis."

WATCH | The Sudbury Food Bank is seeing a 'substantial' increase in demand:

Substantial growth in people using the Sudbury Food Bank

9 months ago

Duration 1:02

Dan Xilon, executive director of the Sudbury Food Bank, says theres been a substantial increase in first-time users of the food bank. Many of them are employed but cant afford to put enough food on the table.

The North Bay Food Bank's numbers align with Feed Ontario's latest Hunger Report.

It found more than 800,000 people across the province accessed emergency food support in the last year, visiting food banks more than 5.9 million times.

Those numbers represent an increase of 38 per cent and 36 per cent, respectively, over the previous year, and the largest single-year increase ever recorded by Ontario's food bank network.

"Ontarians are struggling to get ahead," said Carolyn Stewart, CEO at Feed Ontario, in a news release.

"While we are seeing low unemployment rates across the province, working Ontarians are having trouble earning enough income to afford today's cost of living. As a result, more people than ever before are turning to food banks for help."

The report found more than one in six food bank visitors in Ontario cited employment as their main source of income. That's a 37 per cent increase over the previous year.

Dan Xilon, executive director of the Sudbury Food Bank, said seniors have been a growing group of users at the food bank.

He said seniors made up around five per cent of food bank users in previous years, but now they're closer to 12 or 13 per cent of all people who use the services.

While the food bank has been getting by, Xilon said it's been a struggle this year.

"In September we had to put out a call for food because we literally had none," he said.

"So we did that and then we wound up putting on a call and actually the community it just was so great. We made it through that tough time."

Timmins Food Bank offers help to the unhoused

Rick Young, chair of the board for the Timmins Food Bank,said they're seeing about a 30 per centincrease in users as well, with many seniors among them.

Young also saidthey're turning their attention to the unhoused who don't have cooking facilities.

"We make up special orders for people who are homeless. We work with The Living Space. They screen the people so we know they are homeless and they'll send a form over with the person.We'll give them special groceries made up just for them because obviously they don't have a fridge or stove."

Young saidthose numbers are up to forty people a week.

Demand fromstudents

Nat Cicchelli, executive director, St Vincent Place, which operates a food bank in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., said they have seen a lot more international students using the food bank.

Overall, Cicchelli said, they delivered 35 parcels of food on their food bank days last year, but in 2023, the average is closer to 61 parcels.

"That could be feeding over 300 to 400 people," he said. "And we issue out 150 hot meals every Wednesday and Saturday."

Algoma University said it's creating a new food pantry at its Brampton campusand expanding its pantry in Sault Ste. Marie.

"In the face of the soaring cost of living especially food-price inflation hunger is a real issue all across the country. We recognize it is also an issue at universities, including at Algoma University," said Asima Vezina, Algoma University president and vice-chancellor, in a news release.

"But we can do something about it. The food pantry initiative gives all students a dignified way to keep healthy food on their shelves."