Smiths Falls, Ont. declares food insecurity emergency

Smiths Falls, Ont. has declared a food insecurity emergency, as a growing number of residents are relying on food banks. CTV’s Jack Richardson reports.

The town of Smiths Falls, Ont. has declared a food insecurity emergency as the number of residents relying on food banks continues to rise.

Food insecurity refers to individuals not having access to sufficient or adequate quality food to meet basic needs.

Natalia Soteroff, the executive director of the Smiths Falls Community Food Bank, tells CTV News Ottawa that the demand for their service has grown exponentially since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The food bank used to serve about 300 clients per month and that number has more than tripled to about 950.

“In our last fiscal year, September 30th to October 1st of the following year, we saw over 11,000 clients, which is huge for us,” Soteroff says. “We need more support.”

• The Ottawa Food Bank declared an emergency last fall amid record breaking usage

Soteroff says food banks do not receive consistent funding from any level of government, instead relying on donations to support their operation.

“We strictly rely on our community and our community is in need,” she says.

She adds the workload at the food bank has increased.

“Years ago we were (open) three days a week. We moved to four. Now we’re five days a week. So there’s been a lot more work.”

Smiths Falls, located about 80 km southwest of Ottawa, has a population of roughly 10,000. The town is the latest eastern Ontario municipality to raise concerns over usage of food banks.

Kingston declared a food insecurity emergency in January.

Smiths Falls Mayor Shawn Pankow says this isn’t something the municipality can handle alone.

“The organizations that are trying to fight food insecurity and enhance food security can’t continue to do it on their own based solely on donations,” Pankow says.

“I think we need an emergency task force at the federal government level to dive deeply into the issue of food insecurity.”