The Government of Quebec is providing $6 million in emergency assistance to food banks across the province, which are seeing a significant increase in demand due to the approaching holiday season and rampant inflation that continues to rise. strain the wallets of Quebecers.
The Minister responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action, Chantal Rouleau, and the Minister of Agriculture, André Lamontagne, made the announcement Sunday in Sherbrooke. Mme Rouleau acknowledged that the province is currently in a “particular, heightened hunger period,” largely due to rising food prices.
According to inflation data from Statistics Canada, food prices rose 11% in October compared to the same period last year.
The $6 million emergency aid announced on Sunday brings the Government of Quebec’s investments to support the Food Banks of Quebec to $11 million this year.
Minister Chantal Rouleau stressed in an interview that these amounts were part of “long-term” support to help distribution centers modernize their infrastructure.
“It allows food banks to expand their warehouses, to have mechanization, to acquire new freezers and fridges… In short, projects that allow food to be better preserved and to improve food distribution to organizations with whom they do business,” she said.
For the director general of the Food Banks of Quebec, Martin Munger, this new sum comes as a “Christmas present in advance”, he underlined during the press conference.
Like the Minister, he explained that this new sum will allow food banks to buy more food, to give it to families in need, but also to improve their facilities in order to be able to store more food.
Mr. Munger explained in particular that one of the group’s projects consists in being able to cook and transform certain perishable foods into frozen meals, for example, in order to keep them in reserve longer. But to do that, better facilities are needed, hence his warm welcome to the government’s announcement.
Despite his enthusiasm, Mr. Munger painted a less cheerful portrait of the current situation in Quebec.
According to data from Food Banks of Quebec, more than 2.2 million requests for food assistance are submitted each month in the province, which represents a significant increase compared to last year.
Mr. Munger, however, maintained that the new government assistance will help the Food Banks of Quebec, made up of 32 members, including 19 Moisson members, to meet the growing demand.
“When we talk about emergency aid, we want to make sure that everyone can eat, and that no one is left behind. […] We must continue to work in this spirit of solidarity that characterizes us to reduce poverty and social exclusion”, concluded Ms.me Rouleau, adding that she would try to put in place “the best measures possible in the current economic conditions”.