Orillia City Council has declared a household food insecurity emergency after data revealed that nearly a third of households in the region are struggling to afford groceries. According to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, about 30.7 percent of households in Simcoe County, including Orillia, are facing food insecurity. The council’s motion highlighted that Orillia is particularly affected due to higher poverty rates and stated that the declaration will guide decisions on poverty reduction, community food support, and local initiatives.
Councillor Janet-Lynne Durnford, who co-chairs the Orillia Food Access and Sustainability Working Group, emphasized the increasing demand for food banks, noting that access to the city’s community fridge is constant, with supplies being depleted multiple times a day. She described food insecurity as affecting people from all walks of life, including employed individuals and those from middle-class backgrounds, underscoring the widespread nature of the issue. Durnford stated that while the emergency declaration is largely symbolic, it is intended to influence budget decisions and signal to federal and provincial governments the need for income-based solutions.
National data highlights the growing crisis, with Food Banks Canada reporting that visits to Ontario food banks more than doubled between March 2019 and 2024, marking the largest five-year increase in the country. Chris Peacock, executive director of the Sharing Place Food Centre in Orillia, said the organization is overwhelmed, noting that food insecurity affects even dual-income families. He stressed that food banks are not a long-term solution, but rather provide emergency support, and called for broader policies such as affordable housing and increased wages to address the root causes of poverty.
Peacock highlighted that high living costs are the primary barrier to accessing nutritious food, with more than half of those struggling with food insecurity employed full-time. He emphasized the importance of government intervention at all levels to help families meet their basic needs. The declaration of a food insecurity emergency in Orillia marks the first step toward building a comprehensive strategy to tackle poverty and ensure that families have reliable access to sufficient and nutritious food.
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