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A family relying on The Salvation Army food bank in Yellowknife could once expect a bag that included eggs, milk, cheese and other whole foods. Now, the bags are filled with processed food cans.
That’s because the food bank has seen a year-over-year decline in donations, while demand is up by 60 per cent compared to four years ago.
“If this trend keeps going… we’re going to get ourselves into trouble,” said Tony Brushett, executive director at the non-profit.
He says he’s worried about reaching a point where the organization will have to turn away families or close its doors one out of the two days a week when it hands out food.
That comes as a report from the Maytree Foundation released last week shows all N.W.T. households on social assistance are living below the poverty line.
A couple with two children receiving support are barely above the “deep income poverty” threshold of just over $57,000 in the territory.
One frequent food bank user who spoke with CBC says the portions are barely enough for two weeks, and that she misses having fresh produce.
“That bothers me every day because if they are getting emergency food from here, I know it’s not necessarily the most nutritious. It is mostly fillers, ” Brushett says.
“My hope is that with their limited financial resources they are buying some of the other things they need, but I know for a fact some aren’t,” he said. “Some are having to struggle with ‘do I pay my bills this month or do I feed my family healthy food this month?’”
Nearly 22 per cent of households in the territory are food insecure, according to a 2024 Statistics Canada report — which is the latest federal report with a high margin of error for the N.W.T. data set.
‘Don’t feel shame’: Salvation Army
The Salvation Army says it’s handing out nearly 30,000 grocery bags valued at more than $1 million to some 4,000 homes in Yellowknife. Each family can only pick up food once a month.
“We would never be able to keep up if we allowed them to come more often,” Brushett said.
Besides urging donors and the government to increase their contributions, he says he’s hoping to provide families with financial literacy so they can cook within a budget.
“It’s certainly a hit to the dignity of a lot of folks that they’ve resulted in coming to a food bank,” he said.
His message to those who have to continue to rely on a food bank: “Don’t feel shame.”
“There’s many people out there who are one or two or three paychecks from having to do the same thing,” Brushett said.
Community gardens, greenhouses
The territory and the City of Yellowknife do not track food insecurity.
But the territorial government says it’s a growing challenge.
“Food insecurity continues to be a significant concern in the Northwest Territories,” said Beau Stobbs, spokesperson for the N.W.T.’s Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs.
“Rising costs for food, housing, transportation, fuel, and utilities have placed additional pressure on many households, making it more difficult for residents to afford the necessities they need,” he said in an emailed statement.
The N.W.T. Seniors’ Society says their helpline for seniors, which includes calls related to seniors experiencing poverty, has tripled in the last three months compared to the same time last year. The CBC’s Saloni Bhugra has the story.
Climate change, shorter winter roads season and dependence on imported goods are driving up the cost of food in communities throughout the territory, he said.
The territory is supporting local food production through community gardens and greenhouses, which includes the Community Harvesters Assistance Program, as well as all-season road projects to combat some of the growing challenges, Stobbs said.
Yellowknife city officials did not respond to CBC’s request for a comment by deadline.
