Cochrane, Ont. declares food insecurity emergency after food bank sees 'historic' number of clients
CBC
In the small town of Cochrane, Ont., upwards of 100 new people a month are using the community's food bank. The Cochrane Food Bank says over the last three years, data shows its usage rates have increased by 106 per cent, highlighting a growing food insecurity crisis.
"We're at an historic all time high for our usage here in Cochrane," said Ardis Proulx-Chedore, general manager of the Cochrane Food Bank.
Proulx-Chedore says unemployment, rising costs for food and housing, and increased homelessness are contributing to more food insecurity in Cochrane and across northeastern Ontario.
She says they served just under 4,000 people in the community of 5,500 in 2024, a number she calls "scary" and "insane."
Last year's total was a 25 per cent increase from the year before, when they served 3,100 people in 2023. That year's figure was a 65 per cent jump from the 1,900 people served in 2022.
While more individuals and unhoused people are coming through the doors, Proulx-Chedore says more families with children are becoming clients. She said the number of families needing help rose from just over 200 in 2023 to almost 500 last year.
This year, they had already helped 419 households as of May.
"So we are going to definitely break that as a number," said Proulx-Chedore.
"I don't want to break those records of people needing the usage. It's heartbreaking to see that we have such an increase in usage just in our small community.
In late May, Proulx-Chedore sent a letter to Cochrane Town Council asking for them to declare a food insecurity emergency in the community.
Council deferred the motion to its June 10 meeting, asking the food bank to come back with usage data for more clarification.
After the organization submitted its data from the last three years, council unanimously decided to declare the emergency.
Cochrane mayor Peter Politis called the numbers "eye-opening."
"It's concerning when you look at a quarter of the families in your community that are using the food bank. That should be concerning to everybody," said Politis.
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador is kicking off its annual holiday campaign, helping to raise money to support local food banks.
If all goes according to plan, at 6 a.m. AT on Saturday people working at the IWK Health Centre will become the test case for a generational change to Nova Scotia’s health-care system.
One month after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced what he called "generational" military spending, New Brunswick’s defence ecosystem is on high alert.
Miranda Mirlycourtois, 34, looks directly at the camera and makes a confession.
Saskatoon city hall says police spending is projected to be $2.6 million over budget this year. That pushes the city into a $1.2-million deficit position, according to a report that will be considered by city council next week.
Students at the University of Regina are days away from deciding whether a newly formed student association should become their official representative body.
All public schools on P.E.I. are closed Friday and thousands of Maritime Electric customers are without power as strong winds create hazardous travel conditions across the province.
Prince Rupert, B.C., residents are celebrating the holidays this year with coastal flair.
In the four years Chelsey Simmonds has worked at the Eva Rothwell Centre, she has seen the need increase every year at the centre’s community food pantry.
CBC is once again looking to make the holiday season kind in Windsor-Essex.
Acute Care Alberta has extended its contract for another year with a private surgical facility at the centre of probes into health procurement and contracting.
As food bank use continues to climb across the province, front-line workers in Thunder Bay, Ont., are working to improve both food security and education.
More ads could soon be coming to Toronto’s subway system.