06/15/2026
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Direct from Food Banks Canada :
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❗ Our 2026 are now live❗
The latest data shows that even in provinces with stronger economic capacity, too many people are still being left behind by rising costs and inadequate supports.
🌾 Manitoba received a C−. The province has taken important steps on affordability, including eliminating childcare fees for low-income families and removing PST from groceries. It also saw some of the strongest improvements in material deprivation in Canada. But Employment and Income Assistance rates have now been frozen for four years, even as food costs have risen by roughly 3%, leaving many households unable to keep up.
🏙️ Ontario received a D−. The province earned failing grades for legislative progress, housing affordability, and social assistance adequacy. Ontario Works rates have been frozen since 2018 and now cover just 32.7% of the poverty line. Meanwhile, homelessness continues to rise, with an estimated 85,000 people currently unhoused, while rents have climbed dramatically faster than wage growth and tenant protections.
⚜️ Quebec received a C. While Quebec continues to perform better than most provinces overall, affordability pressures are growing. Housing costs are now unaffordable for 2 in 5 households, social assistance has failed to keep pace with inflation, and food insecurity continues to rise. The province’s legislative response has not kept pace with worsening affordability challenges.
These aren’t just grades — they reflect real lives, and policy choices. Governments must do better.
✍️ Join Food Bank Canada’s call to action for modernized EI that reflects today’s workforce realities. See how your province scored: https://foodbankscanada.ca/poverty-report-card/?utm_source=meta-facebook&utm_medium=organic_post&utm_content=en_June9&utm_campaign=PRC
