Montreal food depot forced to turn people away amid increasing demand
The demand for services at the Depot Community Food Centre in NDG has gotten so high that, for the first time since it opened, the organization has had to start turning people away.
“I’m getting my food ready for the week for my menu,” said Community Chef Sebastian Britton, speaking to CTV in the non-profit’s kitchen on Monday. The centre used to be called the NDG Food Depot until a recent rebranding, but that’s not all that’s new.
“I’m also receiving my orders for the week,” he said. “So, today's nothing but a big prep day.”
It’s big prep for another big week, but that’s becoming the norm. Staff say a busy day would include around 200 prepared meals, but nowadays, that feels like a regular shift.
The Depot offers meals and access to an affordable marché to the community. The cost of living is rising among clients, management says, and it means the amount of people needing their services is climbing, too.
“It's our inability to help people that is very demoralizing and it makes it very, very hard,” said Houda Kerkadi, The Depot’s Community Engagement Coordinator.
“A lot of times, people had to make a payment that they didn’t expect. Sometimes, it would be because of an illness, or that their kid needed something … There’s a variety of cases.”
A rise in demand means The Depot can’t serve everyone, despite increasing its budget by half a million dollars this year.
To compensate, the centre has had to cut the market basket sizes by a third, and those who used to come twice a month, can now only come once.
“We see more people from all over the world, and migration is just going to continue. We see more people who have jobs, we see more students who can’t make ends meet, families, everyone is knocking on our door,” said Executive Director Tasha Lackman.
Moisson Montreal, one of the largest food banks in Canada, is also seeing a significant increase in demand.
“People who were accessing food banks are asking for more help. There hasn’t been an improvement,” said Maggie Borowiec, Moisson Montreal’s Director of Philanthopy.
“There haven’t been people who were just there temporarily, who were able to get back on their feet and not need the help anymore,” she added.
Last month, a garden was inaugurated in Pierrefonds-Roxboro to help supply a local food bank. Now, Moisson Montreal is doing the same thing.
Borowiec says it will allow the food bank to break free from sole reliance on donations, “to be actually be growing food dedicated to the food bank.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Freeland previews omnibus budget bill, proposed capital gains tax change left out
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation is the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
Judge raises threat of jail in hush money trial as he holds Trump in contempt, fines him US$9,000
Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined US$9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. And if he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed.
Court upholds Milwaukee police officer's firing for posting racist memes after Sterling Brown arrest
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a former Milwaukee police officer was properly fired for posting racist memes related to the arrest of an NBA player that triggered a public outcry.
Video captures deadly wrong-way police chase on Highway 401 in Ontario
A new video has surfaced showing a vehicle being pursued by police in the wrong direction on Highway 401 moments prior to a fatal crash that killed four people, including an infant and their grandparents.
New cancer treatment approved, but not everyone thinks it's what's best for patients
A new cancer treatment recently approved in Canada promises to cut treatment time down to just minutes, but experts have differing opinions on whether it's what's best for patients.