Amid rising demands, the Dryden Food Bank in northwestern Ontario seeks support to expand
Social Sharing
More than 600 people accessed the Dryden Food Bank last month, which Al Huckabay says speaks to the growing need to expand the facility in order to keep up with demands.
Fewer than 7,400 live in the northwestern Ontario city. However, its food bank serves a number of surrounding communities and First Nations.
"The demand has been steadily on the increase, and especially now with the economic situation within the country," said Huckabay, manager of the Dryden Food Bank.
"We're finding because of the cost of food, what we're able to purchase with our dollars is becoming less."
The food bank has entered the second phase of Project Hope, a $1.5-million plan to relocate from 62 Queen St. to 158 Grand Trunk Ave. and renovate the building to create more space.
Its immediate goals are to increase the food bank's capacity to accept and distribute food, improve operational efficiency, and enhance safe food handling practices, Huckabay said.
Looking further ahead, the organization has three key aspirations:
Improving strategies to address poverty in Dryden.
Expanding its local community partnerships, including with the Kenora District Services Board, Northwestern Health Unit and Dryden Regional Health Centre.
Working with the Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA) to create a satellite hub in Dryden for food distribution.
"We see ourselves really partnering with community groups that are perhaps doing service in the community that we're not offering — but if it is connected with food, we want to be there and help them out in that way," said Huckabay.
Part of its long-term vision is to become a community hub, similar to Roots Community Food Centre in Thunder Bay, which offers food as well as a number of workshops and programming activities, he explained.
"That is really a true, great description of what we want to become in this area," Huckabay said.
Promoting healthier lifestyles
About one in four households in the Northwestern Health Unit's catchment area face food insecurity due to financial constraints, according to the 2024 Real Cost of Eating Well in Northwestern Ontario report.
A family of four spends more than $1,500 a month on groceries, the report says, a seven per cent increase from 2023.
Education on healthy eating is another big part of what the Dryden Food Bank hopes to do, through installing a community kitchen.
"We want to be able to teach [clients] and show them, in working with other groups and agencies in town, how to take food and have healthier lifestyles," Huckabay said.
The renovations are hoped to begin in August, but the food bank still has a lot of fundraising to do. While the bulk of the project is to be covered by government grants, it's still looking to raise at least $915,000.
The organization is planning a fundraising event at the end of May to help build momentum, Huckabay said.
Despite the rising cost of living, Huckabay said the community has continued to show its support.
"[We are] very thankful for the way in which the community of Dryden and the businesses and retail stores have really come alongside us and helped us out, to make sure that we've got the food on our shelves to be able to give to people," he said.
The Dryden Food Bank is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Hampers can be booked between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. by calling 807-223-3881, with pickup between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
First Nations take steps to reduce wildfire risk
First Nations take steps to reduce wildfire risk Heading into peak wildfire season, several First Nations across B.C. have already taken steps to reduce the risk to their communities.
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
Island Lake First Nations under partial evacuation due to wildfire smoke
Some Manitoba First Nations evacuating vulnerable residents amid worsening air quality say finding accommodations has been challenging, with thousands fleeing wildfires across the province. Four First Nations in the Island Lake region in northeastern Manitoba — Garden Hill, St. Theresa Point, Wasagamack and Red Sucker Lake — are under partial evacuations as of Thursday, said Anisininew Okimawin, a coalition of the four First Nations. About 250 residents had been flown out of the region — around 500 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg — as of Thursday afternoon, said Anisininew Okimawin Grand Chief Alex McDougall. "All of the four communities have focused their efforts around those that are most vulnerable," McDougall said. That includes "those that have respiratory issues and are being affected by the smoke, the heavy smoke that is being blown in by the fires … to the west of us here, primarily [in] Norway House [and] Cross Lake," about 200 kilometres west of Island Lake, he said. "There's a lot of fear and a lot of uncertainty from our community members." WATCH | Partial evacuation underway in Island Lake: Partial evacuation underway in all 4 Island Lake First Nations 3 hours ago Duration 1:51 Around 250 people have been flown out of the remote Island Lake region in northeastern Manitoba, as all four member First Nations have ordered partial evacuations due to wildfire smoke. Pimicikamak Cree Nation, also known as Cross Lake, and the incorporated community of Cross Lake are among the Manitoba communities under full evacuation orders due to a nearby wildfire. Norway House is under an evacuation notice, with people ordered to be ready to leave. An Environment Canada air quality warning is in effect for much of Manitoba, including Island Lake, with 27 active fires still burning in the province as of Thursday afternoon. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson told CBC News earlier Thursday that Misipawistik Cree Nation in the Interlake region, nearly 400 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, was also preparing to evacuate vulnerable residents. "Priority 1 individuals are going to be evacuated to southern Manitoba, but what the leadership wants is … actual hotel spaces before they send their community members to the south," Wilson said. A fire 2,500 hectares in size was about eight kilometres north of Misipawistik as of Thursday's provincial fire bulletin. There were also two active fires west across the bay around Easterville, according to the province's fire map — the largest about 35 hectares in size. Other evacuations taking up space The Island Lake communities have about 16,000 members combined, with roughly 2,000 being Priority 1 residents — those considered most vulnerable and the first to be evacuated, McDougall said. Dozens of dialysis patients have been taken to health facilities in places like Gimli and Powerview-Pine Falls. But McDougall added the First Nations are trying to select the most vulnerable even within that category, as evacuations elsewhere in the province limit the number of accommodations available for Island Lake residents. The Canadian Red Cross has registered about 18,000 wildfire evacuees in the province as of Thursday, the province said in its latest fire bulletin. "One of the challenges that we're seeing with the evacuations is knowing that Manitoba has already been facing evacuations from other communities," McDougall said. "All of those have been going to the larger urban centres in Manitoba and are obviously taking up all of the available accommodations." Premier Wab Kinew said during an interview with Information Radio Thursday morning the situation for Island Lake evacuees is something the province is looking at. "They're medical patients and people who are very vulnerable," he said. "And so it's a bit of a balancing act between getting people into shelter and making sure that we keep some rooms open when those really high-priority medical patients come into the city." First Nations have 'no real involvement': grand chief Wilson criticized the evacuation of other communities in recent days as disorganized and unco-ordinated, with some people, including vulnerable residents with medical conditions, left waiting in line for accommodation or meals. "Unfortunately, we have no real involvement," Wilson said, with the Red Cross providing evacuation services to First Nations under an agreement with Indigenous Services Canada. Watch as the northern Manitoba wildfires grow 9 hours ago Duration 1:11 Wildfires have been burning in northern Manitoba since late May, when a province-wide emergency was declared. Watch as CBC Weather Specialist Riley Laychuk tracks the fires threatening the communities of Flin Flon, Sherridon and Pukatawagan. The AMC grand chief is calling for a regional emergency management strategy in which Indigenous communities have more participation than they do now. "We need First Nations leadership to be involved in the decision-making, and the response time needs to be quick," she said. Meanwhile, McDougall said there would be no need for Island Lake to be partially evacuated if the region had a hospital of its own. "Service would be available locally, and that's been the argument of our leadership," he said. "You compare the size of the population of any other non-First Nation population — they have hospitals." Are you an evacuee who needs assistance? Contact Manitoba 211 by calling 211 from anywhere in Manitoba or email 211mb@
Ottawa Citizen
a day ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Spring COVID-19 vaccine campaign ramps up as new variant emerges
Ottawa public health officials are urging seniors and others who are at heightened risk to get a COVID-19 vaccine this spring. Article content The spring vaccination campaign for those at risk of more serious outcomes comes at a time when COVID-19 is likely far from many people's minds. But it might not be for long. Article content Article content A new, more transmissible variant of the virus, known as NB.1.8.1 or Nimbus, has been circulating through Asia and other parts of the world in recent weeks, driving cases up after a lull. A few cases have been identified in the U.S. For now, COVID-19 transmission remains low in Ottawa and there have been no reports of the new variant. Article content Article content But, given the new variant and patterns in past years, it is likely cases of COVID-19 will also begin to rise in Ottawa over the summer. Article content Article content Getting a spring booster could protect those who are highest risk of poor outcomes, said Marie-Claude Turcotte, who is director of health promotion and chief nursing officer at Ottawa Public Health. Many people over the age of 65 or with other factors, such as compromised immune systems, are unaware that they are eligible for a dose of the vaccine. The vaccine protects against the most severe outcomes from COVID-19 but after four months that protection begins to wane. Article content Seniors over the age of 65 make up the largest proportion of people who end up in hospital with COVID-19. Of 118 people hospitalized in Ottawa since the end of 2024, more than 93 per cent were over the age of 60. Even during periods when there are few cases of COVID-19 circulating, some people, many of them seniors, end up being treated in hospital. There were six people in Ottawa hospitals during the last week of May, according to Ottawa Public Health. Article content Article content Those eligible for the spring booster include all adults 65 and older, adult residents of long-term care homes or other congregate living settings and people six months and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised due to an underlying condition or treatment. They also include individuals 55 and older who identify as First Nations, Inuit or Metis and their non-Indigenous household members who are 55 and older. Article content Article content Vaccines are available through pharmacies. Some physicians also administer COVID-19 vaccines, as do long-term care homes.
