Food Banks Canada (FBC) has reported in the course of seven years, Canadians' food bank usage has gone up by 117%.According to FBC's 2026 annual report released Wednesday, in March 2026, Canadian food banks saw their monthly visits hit over 2.3 million, a new record high.In contrast, in March 2025, FBC reported nearly 2.2 million monthly visits, nearly a 9% increase in just a year.Western provinces led with the highest increase in monthly food bank visits compared with 2025..BC was number one for the largest change from 2025, a 14% jump, with more than 250,000 recorded monthly visits in March 2026.Saskatchewan trailing not far behind, with an almost 12% increase in monthly food bank visits, at over 61,000.Next was Manitoba ,which saw a 9.5% rise, with over 71,000 visits recorded in March 2026.Ranking fourth in Canada for the highest increase in food bank visits in 2026 was Alberta, with a 9.3% increase in a year and over 230,000 monthly visits..Children also represent one-third of all food bank clients, or a nearly 776,000 visits, while 9% are also seniors, up by 2.2% since 2019.On top of this, nearly 18% of food bank visitors are employed."This year, the cumulative impact of inflation has further eroded the purchasing power of people who are employed, even among those whose incomes are above the official poverty line," explained FBC. This, FBC reports, is a 6% increase from 2019..If low-income Canadians are earning more, why are food banks busier than ever?.Housing costs are among the highest absorbers of lowest-income Canadians' disposable earnings, as they spend 60% on housing , a figure that has gone up significantly since 2021, when it was 49%."These aren’t just numbers. They represent Canadians who are struggling every single day," stated Conservative MP Sandra Cobena, the Shadow Minister for Treasury Board and King's Privy Council."One-third of food bank clients are children, representing more than 775,000 visits in March alone. This is a whole generation of children watching their parents not be able to have the dignity to put food on their table.""Canadians are working, but their paycheques are not keeping up with the cost of everyday life," Cobena added on on employed Canadians comprising 18% of food bank visits.."This is what the Liberal affordability crisis looks like: working Canadians relying on food banks, hundreds of thousands of children needing help, and food banks themselves running out before everyone can be served.""Canadians should not have to work hard all month and still wonder whether they can afford to put food on the table," she added.
