A newly released Canada-wide survey found people in the Prairie provinces are turning to food banks and community fridges to feed themselves more than citizens of any other region in Canada.

The survey was conducted by the Canadian Hub for Applied and Social Research at the University of Saskatchewan.

Dr. Jessica McCutcheon says, “The Prairies were quite a lot higher, at 10.3 per cent, versus the next lowest, British Columbia, at five per cent.” But they didn’t find a clear answer as to what might be causing the trend however what is clear is that it’s not just a finding in this survey but other surveys as well. Alberta and Saskatchewan have among the highest food bank rates.

Their survey also showed that prairie residents, at nearly 20 per cent, were more likely to have reduced meal sizes or skipped meals entirely to save money. As well, we were more likely to have grown or hunted our own food compared to Ontario or Quebec, something CHASR attributed to relatively larger rural component on the prairies.

McCutcheon said low income is the driving cause for food insecurity and the numbers likely far underestimate the true extent of the problem because she says the population considered low-income is the most difficult to get to complete surveys.

Canadian Hub for Applied and Social Research at the University of Saskatchewan conducted the survey from Sept. 6 to Oct. 17 asking 1,001 people about strategies to cope with increasing food costs.