Quebec economic update gets mixed reviews from food banks, homeless advocates

Food banks and homeless advocates give their reviews on the money announced from Quebec during its economic update.

In reaction to Quebec’s economic update, Tasha Lackman says she’s disappointed.

“Food banks Quebec did a calculation that to get us to the end of the year conservatively, we needed $18 million  to support food banks, and so $10 million falls short,” she said. “It means people will go hungry.”

Like food banks across the province, the Depot Community Food Centre has been dealing with record-breaking demand and dwindling supply, and its clients are feeling the impact.

“In June, we cut our food basket size by a third, we just cut our food basket size again in November,” said Lackman. “So we are really trying hard to respond the needs of the community without the adequate support of the government.”

A few weeks ago, Food banks of Quebec released its latest report, showing 1 in 10 Quebecers are using food banks to feed themselves or their family — a historic record.

They met with the government and asked for $18 million to get them through until the end of March, but the province has announced it will provide $10 million.

“We were hoping to have no gaps in our supply, however now, we’re quite concerned that we’ll have some gaps in produce before the end of the fiscal year,” said Véronique Beaulieu-Fowler of Food Banks of Quebec.

Food Banks of Quebec say though money is needed to help curb the crisis, food insecurity is a direct result of poverty, and so long-term solutions are needed, like higher welfare and increasing affordable housing.