Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley discusses the rising need for food banks, with usage doubling since 2019, and a third of those in need being children.

The CEO of Food Banks Canada says the country is facing a food insecurity crisis that can no longer be treated as a background issue, as record numbers of people turn to food banks across the country.

In an interview with CTV Power Play host Vassy Kapelos on Thursday, Kirsten Beardsley says she plans to bring the voices of “millions of folks across the country” who use food banks to a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney and his federal cabinet.

A volunteer works in the storeroom of St. Philip Neri’s Table Food Bank at St Philip Neri Church in Toronto, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young A volunteer works in the storeroom of St. Philip Neri’s Table Food Bank at St Philip Neri Church in Toronto, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (Chris Young)

During the interview, she mentioned a Food Banks Canada report that found in March 2025 there were nearly 2.2 million visits to food banks in Canada, doubling the monthly rate from six years ago.

“It took decades to reach one million visits in a month, and it has now taken half a decade to double that,” the report outlined.

Beardsley describes the surge as “shocking,” even for those working in the sector.

She says one-third of food bank users are children – representing nearly 712,000 visits each month. Other groups seeing an increase in usage include seniors, single adults, as well as people who are employed but still unable to afford groceries.

Food banks Canada For many food banks across Canada, this is the busiest stretch of the year and P.E.I. is no exception. (CTV News)

“It speaks to how vulnerable we are as a country now,” Beardsley said, noting that more than one in four people in Canada are experiencing food insecurity.

“You can’t build a strong Canada, a strong future. We need to address this if we want to address the other challenges that Canada is facing right now,” she added.

Ahead of her meeting with cabinet, Beardsley outlined both short- and long-term policy proposals aimed at easing pressure on households and food banks, alike.

Among them is a “temporary groceries and essentials benefit” to help people cover basic costs.

“So they don’t have to decide, ‘Am I going to pay my rent or feed my family this month’?” Beardsley said.

Food Banks Canada Volunteers work at the Food Banks Canada distribution centre in Toronto, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Beardsley advised for long-term reforms, suggesting that the federal government should modernize the employment insurance (EI) system to reflect today’s workforce and give Canadians “a social safety net that supports people over the long term.”

Beardsley says past trends show policy can make a difference, even if it’s impossible to say exactly how earlier decisions might have changed today’s reality.

“We were starting to see some positive news,” she said, adding that the focus now has to be on immediate relief for people struggling to afford food, combined with long-term solutions that prevent food insecurity from becoming a recurring crisis year after year.