Use of food banks on the rise in Canada

A new report released this morning shows more Canadians are relying on food banks.

Food Banks Canada says last March, more than 863-thousand people turned to a food bank to fill their own cupboards, a 1.3-per-cent increase over March last year -- and a 28 per cent rise over 2008.
 

Food banks in eight provinces saw increased traffic, with the biggest jumps in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and the three territories.
 

The report blames short-term economic disruption and the failure of government to adequately support people who face tough times.
 

Manitoba and Ontario were the only provinces that did not see higher food-bank usage compared to last year