Westboro community steps into cold in support of Cornerstone Housing for Women
Westboro-based Cornerstone Housing for Women raises funds for their emergency shelter as housing insecurity rises.
City plants seed for Ottawa community gardens to bloom
Ottawa gardeners hopeful new City program promising increased garden space bears fruit.
It’s mainly because of the meat: Rising prices are changing how Canadians shop
Rising prices for meat are shifting the choices presented to Canadian consumers.
Support agencies hope Ottawa’s food security strategy will ease demand on them
A City of Ottawa food insecurity strategy aims to engage the provincial and federal governments to advocate for better funding for assistance programs.
Some Ottawa Metro stores reduce daily student discount to once a week as food insecurity rises
Some Metro grocery stores in Ottawa are cutting a daily discount for students to once a week as the affordability crisis continues to grow in the capital.
Trade war tactics: Outdoor markets highlight value of buying local
Ottawa Street Markets founder shares why buying Canadian is important during the U.S.- Canada trade war.
Growing food may soon be allowed alongside Ottawa roads if council approves
Ottawa residents may soon be able to grow food on city-owned property near roads, if a motion passed by the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee is adopted by full council. If the motion amending a bylaw is adopted, it would allow fixed planters placed half a metre away from the sidewalk and 1.5 meters away from the road on streets without...
More government funding needed for Ottawa food banks, advocates say
Advocates say current levels of funding for food banks and services are no longer enough to address food insecurity in Ottawa.
“All of us have lost”: Sudanese Canadians build community at a time of war
Sudanese-Canadians are turning to each other to foster community and help their loved ones in Sudan as violent conflict rages on.
Ottawa Food Bank may have to cut food distribution in 2025
Food inflation is persistent, and demands on food banks have grown. But the city's contribution hasn't.
City Builder: Chef Ric Allen-Watson cooks up some hope with the Ottawa Mission
Ric Allen-Watson is the Ottawa Mission's Director of Food Services. He started the Mission's Food Truck in 2020, now serving 10,000 meals weekly, and founded the Food Services Training Program in 2004.
City Builder: Wendy Leung helping communities access surplus food with Foodsharing Ottawa
Who is she? Wendy Leung is the volunteer executive director of Foodsharing Ottawa. The organization collects surplus food from local businesses and distributes it to people in need. What is her background? Leung’s background combines biochemistry, regulatory affairs and public health, with experience in business development and digital services. “I love connecting the dots across various fields and using what...
One in 11 people worldwide face hunger: UN report
The global food security has remained stubbornly poor for three straight years, according to a new UN report. Published by five United Nations specialized agencies, the new State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report has found nearly 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, equivalent to one in 11 people on the planet. The total is about...
New study finds 25 per cent of Canadians are living at poverty level
A new study published by Food Banks Canada found an estimated 25 per cent of Canadians are living in poverty.
Mission’s meals provide sustenance, lift spirits of thousands on Easter weekend
The Ottawa Mission served a record number of Easter meals recently, a reflection of the growing need in the Ottawa community.
Inflation has restaurants struggling to pay the bills as costs rise and consumers watch their wallets
The restaurant industry is struggling with rising costs, narrow profit margins and cost-conscious customers.
Microgreens trend is sprouting, but the tiny vegetables won’t solve the food crisis
Microgreens may be a more sustainable and popular option among farmers, but they cannot solve long term food security issues, expert says.
Inflation drives food bank use in Ottawa to critical levels
Ottawa food banks are facing growing demand as food prices soar across the country.
Hungry for hampers: Demand outstrips supply at campus food banks in Ottawa
Ottawa's post-secondary campus food banks struggle to meet demand from students.
City of Ottawa not doing enough to address food insecurity, say church-affiliated groups
The people who run church-affiliated meal drop-ins and food banks want to see the city offer better solutions than the emergency help they can provide.
Squashing food insecurity: After Halloween, local group says don’t throw out that pumpkin — donate it
With every approaching Halloween, many pumpkins will be bought, carved up for spooky jack-o-lanterns and swiftly discarded afterwards. Instead of throwing out your pumpkin on Nov. 1, environmental advocacy groups like Ottawa South Eco-Action Network recommend finding alternative uses for your gourd.
Carleton students vote on direct levy to fund campus support centre supplying food and other necessities to those in need
Carleton University is having a referendum to decide wether or not to impose a $2.98 levy on each student, per term, to help fund the university-based food bank.
‘I have started to buy only the necessities:’ Food inflation threatens students’ ability to consume a balanced diet
High food inflation in Ontario has forced students to cut back on essential food groups.
Rising food prices prompt higher demand for Ottawa School Breakfast Program
The cost of food is not only impacting households, it has spurred a concerning increase in the use of Ottawa's school food program.
Soaring cost of living has food bank use in Ottawa rising to record levels
With rising grocery costs locking more people out of a nutritious diet, rates of food insecurity are soaring across the country.
End of government supports will likely push up poverty rates, experts warn
A new Statistics Canada report suggests poverty will likely increase past the 2019 levels as even lower-middle class people struggle with inflation.
The Ottawa Paw Pantry adjusts to keep helping low-income families feed their pets
Ottawa Paw Pantry provides pet food to low-income families. Operations have been rethought because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Farmers hit Ottawa streets to protest climate crisis limits on use of fertilizers
Farmers are protesting limits on the use of fertilizers that can cause emissions of nitrogen that can contribute to global warming.
Community activists, police unite at kitchen hub to bring food to Toronto’s vulnerable
Kitchen24 alongside other community organizations worked together to combat one of Toronto's most pressing issues, food insecurity.
‘Cooking Together’: Ottawa chef and local non-profit develop unique class for people with disabilities
Told by doctors he would never work again, Troy Stewart is now teaching an online cooking class for Ottawans with disabilities.