Recent data compiled by poverty reduction organization Vibrant Communities Calgary (VCC) shows a drop in overall food insecurity in the city, but numbers remain high and held steady when it came to people suffering on the more severe end of the spectrum.
The Enough for All Well-Being Dashboard uses the most recent data from Statistics Canada that shows 24.9 per cent of Calgarians were food insecure in 2024, down from 31.7 per cent in 2023.
Michelle James, policy director for the organization, calls it a significant decrease that the organization is happy to see. It could reflect a rise in the median real income over the same time period, as well as the pace of inflation slowing, she said.
Statistics Canada tracks food insecurity from moderate to severe. An example of moderate food insecurity could be people stressing about how they will put enough food on the table for themselves or their family, James said.
The severe side sees people skipping meals or going multiple days without eating due to cost. Those numbers remained consistent between 2023 and 2024.
“What that’s telling us is that Alberta’s most vulnerable folks living in the deepest poverty and going the longest time without eating is not actually improving at the same rate that overall food insecurity has improved,” James said.
The dashboard also shows a slight bump in the number of Calgarians living in poverty, which can range from people experiencing homelessness to people forced to choose between paying bills and buying groceries.
But James notes there are more recent developments not reflected in the data, like U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, and provincially, the swap from Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) to the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP).
Those could end up reversing the positive trend when it comes to food insecurity, she said.
Food bank facing increased demand
That lag in reported data is part of the reason relying on Statistics Canada numbers can often be tricky, according to Calgary Food Bank CEO Melissa From.
(Calgary Food Bank)
“What we see at the Calgary Food Bank is literally right now, we see the cars lined up waiting for food, and that’s the real-time snapshot in our city,” From said.
In 2023, From said the food bank was distributing around 400 hampers daily. Now they average 1,000 a day.
The city’s population growth plays a factor, as does the increased cost of living, From said.
They are seeing more seniors relying on their services, as well as an increase in the number of people considered “working poor” — people with full-time jobs still not earning enough to make ends meet.
“Gone are the days of perhaps the stereotypical food bank user, and you know, maybe those days never existed,” From said.
Despite the increased pressure, From said the Calgary Food Bank has been able to meet current demand. But the concern grows when that elevated need persists for a considerable amount of time.
Plus, she said the organization knows there are many who might need the food bank’s help who are not seeking it, whether for reasons of geographic convenience, or “sometimes, just old-fashioned pride gets in the way.”
She encourages people to put ego aside and reach out if they need help, and says Calgarians who want to donate food, money or their time can go to the food bank’s website.