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Canadian food bank use hits 2.3 million monthly visits due to grocery costs: report
Food bank use in Canada hits 2.3M monthly visits
A new report from Food Banks Canada says the number of Canadians struggling with food insecurity continues to grow, as food bank visits hit a new record of more than 2.3 million in March.
The non-profit organization’s latest HungerCount report, released today, says the cost-of-living crisis and economic pressures are weighing heavily on nearly 10 million Canadians experiencing food insecurity.
Its annual survey recorded more than 2,355,000 visits to food banks across Canada in March 2026, an 8.7 per cent increase from the March 2025 record of more than two million visits.
The report says more than a third of this year’s food bank visits, or nearly 776,000, were made by children.
Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley says people are “running out of options” as they try to balance essential spending, such as paying rent, with rising grocery costs.
The HungerCount report says that since 2021, food prices increased by about 30 per cent, housing costs by 28 per cent and transportation by roughly 24 per cent.
One in five food banks across Canada are reportedly running out of food before meeting the needs of all their clients.
“A lot of folks who used to give to food banks are now finding themselves in need of those services," Beardsley said.
“A job is not enough to ensure that you are not in need of a food bank anymore," she added. "There’s no other room in their budget to do anything.”
Beardsley said the federal government's new Canada Groceries and Essential Benefit is one "positive investment,” but it’s not nearly enough to bridge the gap she's seeing at the community level or in northern regions, where groceries are sold at higher prices due to transport costs.
The report includes a number of policy recommendations, such as doubling the Canada Workers Benefit for low-income residents, expanding food sovereignty initiatives in the North and investing up to $500 million toward food bank infrastructure to meet the demand.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
By Sadeen Mohsen | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to take questions for first time since separation vote
Alberta premier to take questions after referendum
Premier Danielle Smith will take questions today for the first time since Albertans overwhelmingly rejected separation in Monday's referendum.
Smith said she voted to stay in Canada, but said she had little choice but to call the referendum to quash a burgeoning and divisive debate over Alberta's role in Confederation.
About three-quarters of voters marked an X to say yes to staying in Canada rather than holding a second, binding referendum on leaving.
Last night, Smith delivered a provincewide TV address to outline what comes next.
She says she now considers separation to be a dead issue in Alberta and there will be no more such votes as long as she is premier.
And she says separation will not be used as a tool in any future dispute with Ottawa, and Alberta will fight for its position using political avenues or the courts.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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'Hurting': Vigil in Wainwright, Alta., for soldiers caught in deadly fire
Wainwright vigil for soldiers caught in fire
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
Almost every church in Wainwright, Alta., has a parishioner who's a soldier at the nearby military base.
Ryan Wood, pastor of the town's Church of the Nazarene, said it's important those in the Armed Forces know they're not alone after a fast-moving grass fire during training on Saturday killed four and injured dozens more.
"They're hurting. They're struggling just like everybody else," Wood said.
"We want to have a message that we're together in supporting our military. We're together in grieving. We're together is seeking a sense of peace and even hope in all of this."
His church is hosting a vigil Wednesday night, organized by local faith leaders, for the town of roughly 7,000 people.
It's to be the first opportunity for the public and those on the base to formally gather and grieve.
The four killed have been identified as: Pte. Shaun Farrell, 23, of Prince Albert, Sask.; Pte. Aidan Goulding, 23, of North Vancouver; and Pte. Hayden Lykkemark, 19, of Langley, B.C.; and Sgt. Morgan Wong, 26, of Edmonton.
Isaiah Mast, pastor of the Evangelical Free Church, said Albertans like to think they're tough.
But they need to know that it's all right not to be all right.
"These things will live with the person," Mast said. "I think what we hope to do is to be available for those who are going to be wrestling with this for a few weeks.
"This isn't something that just goes away."
Flags in the town, across the country and on all federal buildings were lowered to half-mast to honour those in the fire.
A pile of flowers has also grown at the Wainwright cenotaph.
Mayor Bruce Pugh said he's relieved church leaders are organizing the vigil.
It will go a long way toward healing, he said.
"I think this will be a big piece. We are doing things for our first responders. We're supporting them, our health-care professionals, by just going and visiting," Pugh said.
"I think for some, it won't close the book, but it will help close this chapter in a sense."
"I think for some it will be a recognition of the strength of this community and allows us to hear messages of faith."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
By Bill Graveland and David Baxter | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Le départ volontaire de Marie-Chantal à Big Brother fait jaser sur les réseaux sociaux
Lors de l'élimination du 31 janvier à Big Brother Célébrités, Marie-Chantal Toupin a décidé de quitter la maison d'elle-même, après avoir tenu des propos à l'égard de certaines personnalités dans l'aventure qui ont déplu aux autres participants.
Lors de l'épisode du 25 janvier, le public apprenait qu'une tension entre la chanteuse et Varda s'était installée dans le manoir après que Marie-Chantal ait passé un commentaire sur la santé mentale de Varda, en étant sous l'influence d’alcool et de médicaments.
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Après que ces événements aient semé de fortes réactions sur les réseaux sociaux, les téléspectateurs ont vu le dimanche suivant qu'elle aurait également parlé des babines de Varda à Richardson et désigné Jean-François (Rita Baga) avec une appellation discriminatoire.
Lors de cette même soirée d'éviction, elle a rencontré chacune des vedettes qu'elle a offensées afin de présenter ses excuses, tout en spécifiant qu'elle ne se souvient pas des événements. Elle a ensuite choisi de quitter.
Sur la sphère publique, le départ de Marie-Chantal est loin de passer inaperçu et plusieurs se disent contents qu'elle soit partie de son plein gré.
Des commentaires lui souhaitent d'être bien entourée et d'aller chercher de l'aide à l'extérieur afin de faire une importante introspection sur les propos qu'elle tient.
D'autres fans ne sont pas d'accord avec le fait que Marie-Chantal serait partie la tête haute et pensent plutôt que ses comportements la suivront en dehors de l'aventure.
Alors que Marie-Chantal a blessé son amie de longue date à travers ses paroles, des internautes saluent la réaction de Varda qui a su garder son calme, la conseiller et l'écouter.
Ces événements ont été comparés à ceux qui se sont produits à Occupation Double en 2020 avec la situation d'Éloïse, la candidate qui a triché en visionnant des épisodes de la saison pendant un confinement de quelques jours.
Selon les commentaires, elles auraient toutes deux posé des gestes qui mériteraient une expulsion immédiate, mais aux deux occasions, la production a plutôt laissé la décision entre les mains des candidats pour un résultat identique : un départ volontaire avant l’élimination par les pairs.