Quebec grants $6 million in emergency assistance to food banks

The Quebec government is providing $6 million in emergency assistance to the province's food banks as they face a significant increase in demand due to soaring inflation and the coming holiday season.

The announcement was made Sunday by Chantal Rouleau, minister for social solidarity and community action, and André Lamontagne, minister for agriculture.

According to Statistics Canada inflation data, food prices rose 11 per cent in October compared to the previous year.

The $6 million in emergency assistance will bring the Quebec government's investment in food banks to $11 million for 2022.

For Martin Munger, executive director of Les Banques alimentaires du Québec (the food banks of Quebec), the funding comes as an "early Christmas present."

Speaking at a Sunday press conference, he said the money will allow food banks to not only purchase more food for families in need, but also to adapt their facilities to store more goods.

For example, one of the organization's projects consists of cooking, processing and freezing certain perishable foods so they can last longer.

Despite his enthusiasm, Munger painted a less-than-jovial picture of the current situation in Quebec.

According to data from Les Banques Alimentaires du Québec, there are over 2.2 million requests for food assistance in the province each month, a significant increase compared to last year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French by The Canadian Press on Dec. 11, 2022.