Kingston is now the third Ontario city to declare a food emergency
Kingston city council declared food insecurity an emergency last week, becoming the third Ontario city to do so over the past few months.
Kingston made the move last week during a council meeting as the city has seen a rapid rise in the number of people who have experienced food insecurity over the past few years.
KFL&A Public Health says one in three people are experiencing food insecurity in the area, a number that has jumped from one in nine people in 2022.
“It had gotten worse this year than any other year, not just in my district, but throughout Kingston,” said Coun. Brandon Tozzo, who put the motion forward.
Ruth Noordegraaf, the director of community development and well-being with the city, noted that social assistance rates have fallen far behind inflation rates.
“The last update was in 2018 and currently a single adult is receiving $733 a month, which is obviously provincially mandated,” she told council. “So as a city, we don’t control that. We’re obviously seeing the outcomes of that.”
Coun. Greg Ridge said St. Vincent De Paul provided 18,347 meals in 2019, and 46,997 in 2024.
He then shared a personal story of food insecurity in an attempt to provide context for the council’s decision.
“When I was eight, my father was injured on the job and I had to change schools and leave my friends,” he said. “And then I was wondering why my grandparents were coming by and dropping off groceries all the time and wondering why my parents were talking in hushed tones about money in the kitchen, or hearing my mother cry in the kitchen and tell my mom, ‘Mama, it’s going to be OK.’
“These are things that they stay with you for your whole life.”
The motion calls on the Ontario government to immediately raise social assistance rates, increase funding for school food programs and work toward a universal school food program.
It also requests that the federal and provincial governments establish a guaranteed livable basic income and incorporate food insecurity reduction into government policies and political party platforms.
The motion will be shared with key political leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and local MPs and MPPs, as well as municipal and educational organizations and the leaders of all provincial and federal parties.
Kingston becomes the third Ontario city to pass such a motion, following on the heels of Mississauga in November 2024 and Toronto in December.
In a release, Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish noted her city has the fastest-growing rate of food bank use in Ontario.
“This situation is unacceptable and unsustainable. While food banks continue to fill a critical gap, this is a broader issue that they – and we – can’t solve alone, and it’s not just a Mississauga problem,” she stated.
“We call on our provincial and federal partners to work with us toward lasting change by addressing the root causes and structural issues driving food insecurity.”
Member Motion City Council MM24.42 ACTION Ward: All Declaring Food Insecurity an Emergency - by Mayor Olivia Chow, seconded by Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin * This Motion has been deemed urgent by the Chair. * This Motion is not subject to a vote to waive referral. This Motion has been added to the agenda and is before Council for debate. Recommendations Mayor Olivia Chow, seconded by Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin, recommends that: 1. City Council declare food insecurity an emergency in the City of Toronto. 2. City Council direct the City Manager to consider this emergency declaration in ongoing and future work related to food insecurity such as the City of Toronto’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, Food Charter, and School Food Program. 3. City Council request the Provincial Government to immediately increase its base funding to existing school food programs and increase its financial commitment to enable the expansion of school food programs to additional schools to build a universal school food program. 4. City Council request the Provincial and Federal Governments to act to address the causes of food insecurity by: a. enhancing and indexing to inflation income security programs such as Employment Insurance, Old Age Security, Canada Child Benefit, Canada Disability Benefit, Ontario Works, and Ontario Disability Support Program; b. promoting decent work through secure, quality jobs, living wages, and workplace benefits; and c. joining the City of Toronto in further investing in building and maintaining deeply affordable housing. 5. City Council forward this item to all Members of Parliament and Members of Provincial Parliament who represent Toronto ridings, as well as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Ontario Public School Boards Association, and the National School Board Association for information. Summary When I was a Child Advocate of Toronto, many years ago, I asked the children of Toronto what would be one thing they would do if they were mayor. Lots of them suggested parks and playgrounds. But Sylvia, a 5-year-old, said she would “ask god for more money to buy groceries.” Sylvia experienced hunger and watched her mom run out of grocery money. She knew what it was like to go to school on an empty stomach. Every day she was more focused on her hunger, than her teachers. In a city as prosperous as ours, these stories are far too common. Things are tough. And as the cost of living soars, this is increasingly impacting our kids. Food bank visits in the Greater Toronto Area are up 51 percent from last year. One out of three of these users are children. The City of Toronto steps up every day to help feed over 230,000 kids through the school food program. I’m proud of my own work in getting that program off the ground and continuing to improve it. At this meeting alone, we voted to ensure 8,000 more kids will be fed at school starting in January. That means fewer hungry kids, and badly needed savings for parents. Yet we must recognize how serious the problem is today and commit ourselves to doing even more to confront it. That is why City Council has committed to a phased-in approach to a universal school food program, including a universal mid-morning meal by the 2026 to 2027 school year and a universal school lunch program no later than 2030. This matter is urgent as action is needed from all orders of government, particularly as the 2025 to 2026 budgets are prepared at the Federal and Provincial levels. Background Information (City Council) Member Motion MM24.42
