Food insecurity in Ottawa: Food banks issue plea for financial help from City Hall [Video]

Food banks are calling on the City of Ottawa to provide financial support to help address food insecurity in the capital.

The Community Services Committee debated the city’s new Poverty Reduction Strategy on Tuesday, outlining short-term actions for 2025-26. The five pillars for the strategy are: food security, employment, financial security, economic development, and integrated and simplified pathways.

The proposed short-term actions include the city holding a community-led Food Security Forum in partnership with the food sector, and establishing a city working group to coordinate efforts and enhance a food security lens in city plans and strategies.

Several speakers called on the city to do more to address food insecurity.

“We’re all stretched very thin and if we don’t have direct financial support from the city now, this coming budget period, the risk is that …