Cochrane, Ont. declares food insecurity emergency after food bank sees 'historic' number of clients

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.

DECLARING A FOOD INSECURITY EMERGENCY

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.

Unlike declaring emergencies for events from natural disasters, this declaration doesn't come with any immediate financial incentives.

However, Politis says it allows the municipality to acknowledge and address that there is a problem so they can advocate for more resources from all partners and governments.

"It validates the need for us to really dive in deep and try to come up with some solutions," explained Politis.

Proulx-Chedore says she is proud the town has taken the initiative to look into the issue.

"This is just saying that the municipality has a commitment to addressing these issues and supporting us in our efforts here and as well as in our region," explained Proulx-Chedore. 

"And it's just trying to say that they're going to work with us with any of the initiatives that we're doing to ensure that no one is going to go without food, and that's saying a lot."

She says a copy of the letter has also been sent to Feed Ontario, which will use the data to advocate for more provincial recognition of the problem and financial resources for Cochrane and other municipalities feeling the pressure of food insecurity.