Pay your bills or buy groceries? These are the hard choices as food insecurity rises in northwestern Ontario
Health units in northwestern Ontario have released their annual food insecurity reports, and the numbers aren't pretty. Here's what experts say about the impact of food insecurity on people's health — and what patrons of a local food service in Thunder Bay say about the importance of food for both the stomach and the soul.
![Pay your bills or buy groceries? These are the hard choices as food insecurity rises in northwestern Ontario](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7167206.1712606709!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/dew-drop-inn-volunteers.jpg)
![Volunteers with the Dew Drop Inn in Thunder Bay, Ont., prepare the daily lunch. Food insecurity has jumped significantly in the Thunder Bay district, with the cost of feeding a family of four each month rising by 15 per cent from 2022 to 2023. Two people scoop food out of metal trays at a serving station.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7167206.1712606709!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/dew-drop-inn-volunteers.jpg)
Health units in northwestern Ontario have released their annual food insecurity reports, and the numbers aren't pretty. Here's what experts say about the impact of food insecurity on people's health — and what patrons of a local food service in Thunder Bay say about the importance of food for both the stomach and the soul.