Kingston city council declared food insecurity an emergency last week, becoming the third Ontario city to do so over the past few months.
Kingston made the move last week during a council meeting as the city has seen a rapid rise in the number of people who have experienced food insecurity over the past few years.
KFL&A Public Health says one in three people are experiencing food insecurity in the area, a number that has jumped from one in nine people in 2022.
“It had gotten worse this year than any other year, not just in my district, but throughout Kingston,” said Coun. Brandon Tozzo, who put the motion forward.
Ruth Noordegraaf, the director of community development and well-being with the city, noted that social assistance rates have fallen far behind inflation rates.
“The last update was in 2018 and currently a single adult is receiving $733 a month, which is obviously provincially mandated,” she told council. “So as a city, we don’t control that. We’re obviously seeing the outcomes of that.”
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
Coun. Greg Ridge said St. Vincent De Paul provided 18,347 meals in 2019, and 46,997 in 2024.
He then shared a personal story of food insecurity in an attempt to provide context for the council’s decision.
“When I was eight, my father was injured on the job and I had to change schools and leave my friends,” he said. “And then I was wondering why my grandparents were coming by and dropping off groceries all the time and wondering why my parents were talking in hushed tones about money in the kitchen, or hearing my mother cry in the kitchen and tell my mom, ‘Mama, it’s going to be OK.’
“These are things that they stay with you for your whole life.”
The motion calls on the Ontario government to immediately raise social assistance rates, increase funding for school food programs and work toward a universal school food program.
It also requests that the federal and provincial governments establish a guaranteed livable basic income and incorporate food insecurity reduction into government policies and political party platforms.
The motion will be shared with key political leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and local MPs and MPPs, as well as municipal and educational organizations and the leaders of all provincial and federal parties.
Kingston becomes the third Ontario city to pass such a motion, following on the heels of Mississauga in November 2024 and Toronto in December.
In a release, Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish noted her city has the fastest-growing rate of food bank use in Ontario.
“This situation is unacceptable and unsustainable. While food banks continue to fill a critical gap, this is a broader issue that they – and we – can’t solve alone, and it’s not just a Mississauga problem,” she stated.
“We call on our provincial and federal partners to work with us toward lasting change by addressing the root causes and structural issues driving food insecurity.”
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
