A new report on the use of food banks across the country shows an overall increase in demand. Saskatchewan seeing a five percent increase over last year.
The annual HungerCount report released by Food Banks Canada said it had nearly 2.2 million visitors. food banks nationwide in March 2025—almost twice as much as in March 2019.
In Saskatchewan, an average of 55,310 people visited the food bank per month this year, with single people, renters and those living off public assistance most widely represented.
The executive director of the Saskatoon Food Bank says her organization gets about 23,000 visitors a month, up from about 17,000 in 2019.
“It may have been a little slower than what you're seeing nationally, but we've definitely seen an increase in the number of people working using food banks and an increase in the number of seniors using food banks,” said Laurie O'Connor with the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre.
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While unemployment has typically served as a buffer against food insecurity, this year's report tells a different story: Workers make up nearly a fifth of food bank clients.
“People who used to donate are now turning to food banks,” O'Connor said.
In Regina, demand for food banks is also growing, up about 20 per cent since last year, said John Bailey, CEO of the Regina Food Bank.
“We're really seeing growth at unprecedented levels,” Bailey said, adding that higher demand could be due to a number of factors other than hunger, such as the cost of living and food inflation.
“And then link that to some of those people who are already accessing other support, and that support may not be meeting the needs that are keeping them out of our door,” he said.
Food Banks Canada also reports that 34 per cent of people accessing food banks across the country are newcomers who have lived in the country for less than ten years.
Stefano Mugueta, a consultant with the Saskatoon Open Door Society, says one reason for this is that immigrants have difficulty gaining recognition in jobs for which they are qualified, leading to low wages or unemployment.
“So once they get here, and within one or two months, they will be out of money and then they will have to find their way,” Mugeta said.
“So they will have to find another way to survive.”
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