City of Brockville Declares Food Insecurity an Emergency at Tuesday’s Council Meeting

Brockville – Brockville City Council passed a resolution unanimously at Tuesday’s council meeting to declare food insecurity an emergency after hearing from the Brockville and Area Food Bank that reported 21,537 visits in 2024 (including 5,519 visits by or on behalf of children) to the food bank.

The food bank states that 1 in 13 people in our community needs help from the food bank. From Dec 2024 to May 2025, the food bank saw 2,533 unique individuals access the food bank, 2,195 were returning visitors, and 338 were new clients, a clear sign that the need is growing.

683 (27%) were children under the age of 18. The Brockville and Area Food Bank serves the communities of Brockville, Lyn, Mallorytown, and North Augusta.

The symbolic resolution is asking that the Provincial and Federal Governments consider the reduction of food insecurity as a component of all applicable government policies and that they request the Provincial and Federal Governments to explore the expansion of existing school food programs and/or work to establish a province-wide, universal school food program.

This act of recognition will acknowledge food insecurity as a growing, province-wide problem, send a clear signal to upper levels of government that systemic solutions are needed and align Brockville with a coalition of municipalities taking action: Toronto, Mississauga, Brantford, Hawkesbury, Kingston, Smiths Falls.

The South East Health Unit, in its 2024 report “Addressing Food Insecurity in Leeds, Grenville & Lanark”, indicated that the living wage for the region is $21.65 per hour; and the Health Unit’s Low Income Measure – After Tax estimates that approximately 3,150 Brockville residents are in low income, based on 2021 census data.

Food insecurity is defined as inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints, and is associated with a higher risk of numerous diseases, chronic health conditions and early death and Public Health Ontario estimates that 1 in 7 households in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark are food insecure.