• Households in need of food can only receive a hamper from the food bank once per month. The data above counts the number of distinct individuals (including dependent children) who received food hampers each month.
• Data for the years 2011 to 2018 is calculated based on the month of March. For other years, the data reflects a monthly use average over the entire year.
• The last 20 years of food bank use reflects the ups and downs of Edmonton’s economy. Food bank usage rises during economic downturns.

Canada’s universal health care system aims to ensure that all Canadians are provided equal access to health services without financial barriers. Unfortunately, Canadians continue to face challenges in accessing medical care due to poverty and systemic discrimination. Many Black and Indigenous people in Canada lack trust in the system as a result of historical and contemporary discrimination and trauma.

All Canadians face long wait times for particular health services, but for people living in poverty these long wait times for even the most basic care may prove prohibitive. Combined with medical costs that are not covered by the system and must be paid out-of-pocket or through costly insurance program (such as prescription drugs, dental care, or mental health services), marginalized populations are unlikely to have reliable access to health care services. This is more alarming given that their health concerns are already heightened due to adverse living conditions (e.g., low-income, poor housing conditions, and food insecurity). For expectant mothers, these issues may increase the risk of low birth weight or child mortality; for others experiencing stress and other mental health challenges, these issues impact life expectancy and suicide rates.