The weather was muggy with intermittent warm summer rain on Monday, August 12. Just before 1 pm, the first people were standing outside the doors of Patro Roc-Amadour, near the parking lot. With shopping bags in hand, they waited for the start of the food distribution provided by this social aid organization that has been serving the Limoilou neighborhood in Quebec City for 75 years.

Shortly after, and for a good part of the afternoon, a steady stream of people passed through. While a dozen or so people in need waited their turn and were offered water or coffee by volunteers, a few others were in the grocery section. With their carts, they went from table to table, where they were given the products they were entitled to, based on the number of people in their household. "We're at the right time of year, with the harvest and Quebec's delicious fruit and vegetables. The tables are well-stocked and the produce is varied," said "Monsieur Jacques" happily.

A volunteer at Patro Roc-Amadour for 18 years, this retired man with a twinkle in his eye and a bushy mustache has seen the face of poverty change. "Up until two or three years ago, 85% of users were on social assistance, with incomes of around 800 [Canadian] dollars a month [around €530]. Today, we see a lot of newcomers, Africans and South Americans, who are waiting for a work permit or are in low-paying jobs." "There's also an increase in the number of elderly people every year," added Mario Hébert, the director of the support service. "The others are single people or large families."

The trend is set to worsen in light of Pollara Strategic Insights' survey results for Food Banks Canada, released on Thursday, August 22. It indicates that 35% of Canadians are experiencing more financial hardship than they were three months ago. "If the newest StatsCan projections come true, the food bank system will not be able to support the tidal wave of people needing support," said Kirstin Beardsley, the CEO of Food Banks Canada. "The food banking network was never meant to be able to support a quarter of people in Canada."

According to this organization, which oversees food bank services in every province, 25% of Canadians are living below the poverty line. This figure is in contrast to the 10% estimated by Statistics Canada. The discrepancy with the official rate is due to the choice of statistical methods.

Food Banks Canada used the Material Deprivation Index (MDI), which calculates the proportion of Canadians living in poverty because they can't afford two or more essential items. This affects 30% of young people aged 18 to 30, 44.5% of single-parent families and 42% of renters, according to the study published in June. The organization also surveyed households to find out whether they could meet various needs, such as transportation, having at least one pair of properly fitting shoes, a pair of winter boots and keeping their homes at a comfortable temperature throughout the year.

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