A quarter of Canadians are food insecure. Addressing this must be a national priority
No One Should Go Hungry at Christmas — But Too Many Do
This is our perspective on the op-ed originally published in the Globe and Mail on December 22, 2025.
A copy of this article can be found here.
This Christmas Eve, as communities across Central Alberta prepare to gather around tables with family and friends, we must confront a stark reality: more Canadians than ever are struggling to put food on their plates. Recent data shows that approximately one in four people in Canada are living in food-insecure households — that’s roughly 10 million people, including millions of children who face daily uncertainty about where their next meal will come from.
Food insecurity is more than occasional hunger. It means families regularly sacrificing the quality or quantity of food because they simply don’t have the money. It means parents skipping meals so their children can eat. It means people working but still relying on food banks because rising costs — especially for housing and groceries — outpace wages and supports.
At the Red Deer Food Bank, we see this every day in our community. We see neighbours we thought were secure struggling to make ends meet. We see children attending school hungry. We see seniors living on fixed incomes trying to stretch every dollar. And we see Christmas as a moment to renew our commitment — not just to emergency food support, but to policies that address the root causes of food insecurity.
This season reminds us of our shared humanity. As you enjoy holiday meals, please remember those for whom food isn’t a guarantee. Support measures that strengthen income security, affordable housing, and access to nutritious food. Because in one of the richest countries in the world, no one should worry about their next meal — especially at Christmas.