COCHRANE - Nearly three-quarters of Cochrane residents turned to the food bank for support last year, data show.
In 2024, 73 per cent of Cochrane residents used the Cochrane Food Bank.
In response to growing food insecurity, the organization recently introduced a new free community food pantry to provide easy access to essential items for those in need.
The numbers are "staggering" for food bank manager Ardis Chedore.
“We typically see an increase in January due to holiday spending, but this year’s surge has been dramatic across all areas, not just Cochrane. And we're seeing in February the same increase. It's not dropping," she said.
In the last census, Cochrane's population was 5,390.
In 2022, the food bank served 1,907 unique users. That number rose to 3,143 in 2023, growing to 3,925 people last year when 2,583 adults and 1,342 children were served. Over 200 new clients accessed the service for the first time.
TimminsToday reached out to Cochrane Mayor Peter Politis and did not receive a response.
Economic challenges, including rising food costs and tariffs have made it more difficult for people to afford groceries, Chedore said.
“Even our wholesale suppliers have warned us of up to a seven per cent increase in costs due to rising prices of steel and aluminum used in canned food packaging,” she said.
“At the same time, donations are down because families are struggling to feed themselves.”
Over the past year, Cochrane faced unique economic challenges, including the summer fire at Rockshield, the town's historic plywood mill, which left 100 people unemployed.
SEE: Cochrane 'looking tragedy in the eye', turning it into opportunity after mill fire
RELATED: Inflation, job losses drive massive usage increase at Cochrane Food Bank
The Cochrane Food Bank serves Cochrane residents only. It’s open Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Wednesdays from noon to 6 p.m.
Located inside the Neighbour-to-Neighbour Thrift Store, the pantry operates on a take-what-you-need, give-if-you-can basis, ensuring that support is available without barriers or stigma. It launched on Feb. 22.
The idea for the pantry came from Chedore, who had been researching similar initiatives in other communities.
After discussing the concept with staff and volunteers, the food bank put out a donation request for a fridge.
Within a few months, they secured the necessary equipment and began stocking the pantry with non-perishable essentials.
The pantry is for people who may not feel comfortable requesting help through traditional food bank services.
“Even with client food days and having snack packs for families, we see individuals who might not ask for an emergency bag despite experiencing food insecurity,” Chedore said.
“Some people are very prideful and always think there’s someone in greater need … We’ve witnessed just in the couple of days we've had it open, that it's definitely filling a need.”
While similar initiatives are outdoors, Cochrane’s is indoors.
“Winter temperatures can make canned goods unsafe, and in the summer, overheating can spoil food. There’s also wildlife to consider — foxes and bears are common in Cochrane.”
The food bank plans to expand the initiative by collecting additional fridges and placing them in strategic locations around town. Some community partners have already expressed interest in hosting pantries at their sites, Chedore said.
“We want to make sure that, every couple of days, we check on the pantries, restock them, and remove any items that aren’t suitable,” she said.
“Non-perishable items are ideal, but we want to ensure quality and safety.”
The Cochrane Food Bank hopes to introduce similar free community food pantries in other communities. Chedore has already spoken with Kapuskasing, where schools have a similar initiative, and there is interest from Iroquois Falls and Smooth Rock Falls, she said.
“We’re treating this as a pilot project,” she said.
“If it proves successful in Cochrane, we’ll look at expanding into smaller communities before considering larger urban centres like Timmins.”
Chedore said that any expansion would rely on volunteers and donations.
The Cochrane Food Bank was recently accredited by Food Banks Canada. It’s the first in northeastern Ontario to receive the recognition.
“Now we meet all the standards for food safety and financial transparency,” Chedore said.
“Accreditation also gives us access to grants and funding that we previously couldn’t apply for, allowing us to support not just Cochrane but also smaller regional food banks.”
Chedore hopes the new pantry and future expansions will help ensure that “no one in the community goes hungry.”
“The goal is to see our numbers go down — to get back to where they were before 2023. Until then, we’ll keep working to provide food security for as many people as we can.”
Learn how you can support the food bank here.