Ottawa, ON – Canadians should not have to choose between groceries, rent and basic necessities. Yet after eleven years of Liberal government, that is the reality for families across the country.
A new Salvation Army report found that nearly one in three Canadians are skipping or reducing meals because they cannot afford groceries, up from 27 per cent last year. Among Canadians aged 18 to 34, that rises to 41 per cent.
Food affordability is now one of Canadians’ top three national concerns, up from 26 per cent in 2025 to 37 per cent in 2026. Meanwhile, 15 per cent of Canadians have accessed community food supports, up from 11 per cent last year.
In Toronto alone, the Daily Bread Food Bank recorded more than 4 million food bank visits over the year ending March 2026, up 333 per cent from 2019. One in eight Toronto children now relies on a food bank, nearly double the 2022 rate. While children only make up 18 per cent of the city’s population, they account for 25 per cent of food bank users.
Behind those numbers are families struggling to feed their children. More than one in four parents using food banks in Toronto said their child missed a meal in the past three months because there was not enough money for food. 17 per cent said a child in their home goes hungry at least once a week.
These challenges do not end at the grocery store. Equifax reported that more than one in five young Canadians sometimes or regularly borrow money or use credit just to afford basic necessities. 21 per cent of households with children borrow money or rely on credit to cover living expenses. Half of Canadians surveyed by the Salvation Army said they used savings to afford basic needs. 40 per cent took on debt or used credit and 30 per cent delayed or missed bill payments because they did not have enough money.
Housing costs are adding to the stress. The Salvation Army found that nearly one in four Canadians spend at least 50 per cent of their after-tax household income on housing. Half of Canadians are not confident that they can find another affordable home in their community if they had to move. The Daily Bread Food Bank reported that after paying for housing, Toronto food bank clients have a median of just $8.33 per person each day for everything else including food and transportation.
It is no wonder that the Salvation Army’s spokesperson warned that “For many families, making ends meet is no longer about cutting back on extras. It’s about making difficult choices between food, housing and other basic necessities.”
This is the result of Liberal policies that have driven up the cost of everything. Mark Carney doubled the deficit, with the biggest deficit outside the COVID pandemic and the highest spending as a share of GDP since the 1990s debt crisis. He is spending more on almost everything, passing costs on to Canadians through higher inflation and interest rates.
Canadians need relief. As the government prepares to table its upcoming budget, Conservatives are calling on Mark Carney to cut wasteful spending by bringing down deficits, inflation and taxes. That means lowering the cost of government and keeping their promised debt anchors. They must eliminate all federal taxes on diesel until Canada Day, suspend the GST on fuel until summer and permanently scrap the Fuel Standard Tax.
Conservatives will never stop fighting to restore the promise of Canada. We will save you money by cutting taxes, unleashing investment, removing barriers to growth and advancing a real Economic Action Plan that helps Canadian families get ahead and build a stronger future for their children.