Cost of Food Crisis

We pause my current series (Rules of Civility) to introduce a new series, which will be posted to sporadically. I’ve decided to share letters I’ve written to my local federal MP on issues I care about. I’ve already written many for different reasons, but here’s the one I wrote today:

Dear Member of Parliament,

I am writing to you as a concerned constituent who is deeply troubled by recent data showing a dramatic and sustained rise in food insecurity across Ontario and Canada. I believe this is an issue that demands urgent and decisive political attention - not only as charity work, but as a matter of dignity, justice, and community health.

Recent reports indicate that between April 2024 and March 2025, over 1,007,441 people in Ontario - roughly 1 in 6 Ontarians - accessed a food bank with a staggering 8.7 million visits during that time (www.feedontario.ca).

This represents an 87% increase since 2019-2020 - a rate of growth that, by all accounts, is unsustainable.

At the national level, the situation is equally alarming. In March 2025 alone, there were nearly 2.2 million food-bank visits - the highest number ever recorded by Food Banks Canada (www.newswire.ca).

Shockingly, nearly 1 in 5 food-bank clients are employed, yet still cannot afford adequate food and basic necessities. That’s a profound signal that having a job is no longer a guarantee of economic security in Canada. This is not okay.

Meanwhile, grocery chains post record profits, housing projects stall under layers of bureaucracy, and both families and small businesses struggle to stay afloat. These issues are not the product of a lack of social programs - they are the result of high costs, excessive regulation, and policies that increasingly favour corporate consolidation over household affordability.

Canadians are doing their part. They are working, budgeting, tightening their belts, and donating their own hard-earned money to try and support those who have less. But no amount of personal responsibility can compensate for systems that have become unaffordable and unmanageable.

Restore affordability in the food supply.

Grocery prices are out of control, and the profit margins of major chains speak for themselves. We need stronger oversight, price transparency, and measures that prevent price-gouging on basic necessities. Food should not be treated as a luxury or a tool for corporate gain - it is a fundamental need.

Remove unnecessary barriers to building affordable housing.

It should not take years of paperwork, approvals, and red tape to build a home in Canada. Streamlined zoning, faster building approvals, and policies that encourage competition and innovation in the housing sector would have a far greater impact than expanding subsidies or social programs. The solutions should reduce government obstruction, not increase government spending.

Support workers and the businesses that employ them.

Yes, wages matter - but raising wages alone means little if the cost of running a business keeps climbing. Rather than forcing businesses to absorb more costs, government should make it easier and more affordable to operate in Canada. Lowering regulatory burdens, reducing administrative barriers, and creating stable policy environments would allow businesses to grow, hire, and play fairly - without passing inflated costs onto consumers.

Focus on good governance, not bigger government.

Canadians are not asking for endless new programs. They are asking for competence, accountability, and common-sense. Economic hardship on this scale is a sign that policies are not aligned with the reality facing Canadian families. We need governance that prioritizes affordability, efficiency, and practical solutions over political optics.

Food bank use should be an emergency fallback - not a normalized part of Canadian life. The fact that it has become so widespread is a warning sign that deserves urgent attention. Canadians deserve systems that function, markets that are fair, and leadership that responds to these growing challenges with clarity and courage.

I am asking you to be a part of the solution: to push for policies that reduce costs, remove barriers, and restore affordability, rather than expanding costly programs that address the symptoms instead of the root causes.

Thank you for your time and your service to our community. I look forward to hearing what steps you intend to take on behalf of the people you represent.

P. S. Statistically speaking, visuals are often more impactful when trying to make a point. So I leave you with this, a picture of my groceries, bought this afternoon. How is it that so little amounts to almost $200?!?!

Ⓒ November 2025. Beki Lantos. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form by any means without prior written permission of the author.