Feeding the West Island (Montreal, QC): How the West Island Assistance Fund Responds to Food Insecurity

Introduction

The West Island Assistance Fund (WIAF) is a non-profit organization, founded in 1966, that supports those who struggle with food insecurity (when one lacks food in quantity and/or nutritional value) in Montreal, specifically in the West Island and also aims to help with issues related to food insecurity such as homelessness [1]. The WIAF was at first, an organization focused on faith where the goal was to connect different groups from parishes that focus on helping the marginalized and underprivileged people by providing help with emergencies [21]. In 1986 the WIAF decided to run a food bank to provide those in need with food leftover from the Christmas food drives [21]. The West Island is in the West of Montreal, and has a population of about 225,000 residents [17]. The cities in the West Island are: Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Kirkland, Beaconsfield, Senneville, Pointe-Claire, Dorval, Baie-D’Urfé, Sainte-Geneviève, L'Île-Dorval, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Île-Bizard, Pierrefonds and Roxboro [18]. The WIAF is located in Roxboro, a residential neighbourhood in the Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough on the northern part of the West Island, home to roughly 70, 000 residents [16]. The WIAF gives those in need access to food that is nutritious [21].

The values of the West Island Assistance Fund are: compassion, equity, respect and trust as compassion is present since the community’s need for food is being supported, equity is valued as food is given to those in need, respect is a part of the WIAF since the programs give participants independence and trust is within the organization as the workers focus on teamwork and cooperating together to meet the goal of helping those who are food insecure [1]. Other values that the WIAF has are social justice, equality, empathy, listening, confidence in one’s abilities, teamwork and independence [21]. The WIAF even provides those in need of clothes with clothing and those in need of house items with items for the house [22].

The purpose of this publication is to increase awareness of the food insecurity issue in Montreal and in the West Island, and to increase awareness of food insecurity solutions, thereby increasing the number of people who will have access to food. Another purpose of the publication is to inform researchers, schools and schoolboards of the issue of food insecurity amongst families and youth in order to make a positive change.

Background: Key Local Challenges

Rising Costs and Fixed Incomes

An important question regarding food and its accessibility is why food insecurity is becoming a bigger issue here in Montreal and on the West Island? In 2022, many “reported experiencing food insecurity” [7] in Canada and Statistics Canada reported that 18% of Canadian families are food insecure [7]. There are more than 20,000 people living in poverty in the West Island and proof that many suffer from food insecurity in the West Island is that approximately 1,500 people who are food insecure were helped by a program named Carte Proximité that provides food coupons and helps those in Montreal and has many markets, one of them being the West Island Solidarity Market [23]. Another organization that works on helping with food insecurity, being the West Island Mission, has stated that they are serving more residents after COVID-19 and that they now serve approximately 400 families and that is evidence that food insecurity is still an issue in the West Island that needs to be addressed [6].

Research was done by an organization named: Table de Quartier Sud de l’Ouest-de-l’ l'Île (TQSOI) in 2023 on the West Island and according to the data, more than 20,000 citizens living in Pointe-Claire had low income and were struggling with food insecurity [4]. Inflation is a huge reason as to why many who are living in the West Island are having a hard time accessing food as prices in grocery stores are increasingly going up [4]. Those who have a fixed income, such as the elderly, often need to make a choice between food or paying for housing [4]. Organizations focused on food insecurity in the West Island community have even noticed and stated that there are more people trying to access the services and who are in need of food [6].

From 2021-2024, a family of four’s grocery bill increased by approximately 33% and more than $3,000 each year was spent on groceries [2]. There are about 517,000 food products and food services being distributed each month in the Greater Montreal Area and this represents a 72% increase since 2022 [2]. Gagnon's study [13] showed that inflation is harder to escape for those in debt or facing employment instability, since financial challenges and difficulty finding work after a layoff compound the strain on grocery budgets.

Low-Income and Inflation Leading to Poverty

Research has shown that there is poverty in the West Island as well as in many parts of Montreal, and it is also present in neighborhoods with citizens with higher incomes [2]. In more than three years, distributions of food have increased in the Greater Montreal area by 72%, as in 2022 there were approximately 301,000 distributions compared to about 517,000 distributions in 2025 [2].

Another reason is social isolation, and then there is the increase in housing prices and home maintenance costs resulting in less money being available for food [2].

Food insecurity leads to being isolated and that isolation that those who are food insecure experience negatively impacts their mental health [8]. Relationships with others are even negatively affected when someone is dealing with food insecurity [8]. Those who are isolated from grocery stores and food banks are more prone to being food insecure [4].

Many residents experience shame, discomfort, guilt, and shyness when asking for help from services and organizations that address food insecurity [4]. About 35% of Canadian residents living in poverty stated that they suffer from food insecurity [7]. Many Canadian families who have income above the minimum income threshold (higher than the poverty line), are still lacking access to food [7].

Inequities, a Lack of Accessible Food and Social Isolation

There is an inequity in the amount of grocery stores within the West Island area as many grocery stores are located far away from where the residents live in the West Island. Based on the TQSOI’s definition of food that can be accessed and how close the food should be, more than 83% of West Island inhabitants live in areas that are far from grocery stores, making it more difficult to access food that is nutritious and affordable [4]. Those who are food insecure sometimes go to markets for more affordable and nutritious food [5]. Food insecurity can lead to people feeling “social isolation” [8] and lonely [8]. Social isolation leads to a lack of food as when there are no nearby grocery stores, connections with the community weaken and then there is shame in asking for assistance while one is dealing with food insecurity [19].

There are mainly large businesses in the West Island that distribute food, causing it to be incredibly difficult to access food using public transportation and by walking and the stereotype that the West Island is an area that is wealthier has created a lot less funding for organizations in the West Island that want to help with food insecurity [20]. There are many areas that lack accessibility to food, as 78% of the Northern part of the West Island and 95% of the Southern part of the West Island, has a lack of grocery stores and places where food can be accessed thus leading to approximately 83.5% of people who live in the West Island having no easy access to food such as fruits and vegetables [20].

The Affected Community and Its Needs

Experiences of those who Struggle with Food Insecurity

Many families that suffer from food insecurity are families where the female has the highest income in the household, Indigenous families who do not live on reserves, and families that suffer from discrimination and racism [7]. The West Island Assistance Fund helps families who have a low-income in the West Island and they serve the following cities; Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Kirkland, Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield and l’Île‑Bizard-Sainte‑Geneviève [9]. Those who are food insecure include many individuals “who can’t get out” [6] of being food insecure due to their disabilities [6].

In order to help the community of the West Island that is diverse in its cultures and languages, the West Island Assistance Fund has members that speak different languages such as English, French, Arabic and Spanish to help meet the needs of the community [9].

Demographics on who deals with Food Insecurity

Families with single-mothers struggle the most with food insecurity as they make up 41% of those who are food insecure [7]. Many families with children experience food insecurity, and in Montreal this represents about 56%, while in Quebec, 48% of families with children struggle with food insecurity [2].

In the West Island, approximately 9% of families have a low-income representing about 20, 440 people of which 9, 811 consist of families and seniors that have a low-income and therefore, leading to the issue of food insecurity [20]. Approximately 27% of those who have a low-income and are food insecure in the West Island are aged 65 and up and almost 52% of those who are aged between 18 and 64 have a low-income and are food insecure [20]. There is about 30% of residents in the West Island, representing approximately 23, 900 people spending most of their income on their homes creating a higher risk of being food insecure [20].

In Quebec, in 2022, 22% of the population was food insecure while in 2025, 36% of the population in Quebec was suffering from food insecurity proving that food insecurity is a growing issue in Quebec [15]. In 2020, 8% of the population had extreme food insecurity and in 2025, it increased to 17% [15]. The number of residents in Quebec experiencing an average amount of food insecurity in 2020 was 8% and in 2025 the percentage increased to about 10% whereas in 2020 the percentage of the population experiencing a small amount of food insecurity was 6% and it increased to 8% in 2025 [15]. There are many young adults who are affected by food insecurity who are aged between 18 and 34 representing 49% of the population with an additional 45% consisting of those aged between 35 and 54, and finally it is worth noting that approximately 41% of the population in Quebec who are lacking food are in fact employed [15].

For those with a yearly income of less than $40,000, 66% deal with being food insecure, and amongst these homes 38% have extremely serious cases of food insecurity, that resulted in an increase in those who are food insecure by 52% since 2023 [15]. According to research, 30% of the population who are food insecure are children [3]. Moisson Montreal [14] reported that 54% of homes that require help with food insecurity are families and that the need for food amongst families has increased by 47% compared to 2023 [3].

The food banks in Quebec have reported that there have been about 3.1 million requests for food in March 2025, representing an increase of 6.6% compared to 2024 [11]. The requests for food assistance since 2022 has risen by 37% and out of 1,400 groups consisting of food banks, 29% needed to give the public smaller baskets to be able to help more people [11]. A few food banks, consisting of about 11%, were not able to help some who needed food and were food insecure due to a smaller supply of food [11]. While the prices for an apartment that can house four people increased by 18% from 2022 to 2024, the prices for healthy food went up by 16% from 2022 to 2024 showing the dilemma that people face having to choose between food and housing [11].

West Island Assistance Fund's Programs and Initiatives Addressing Local Challenges

The main program at the WIAF is the food bank that allows families and people who have low-income to receive baskets with groceries that helps them cope with inflation and poverty [10]. The following documents are required to register to receive services: the person’s address and proof of address, the person’s income and proof thereof, and a piece of ID [9].

The Garden of Hope is one of the projects at the West Island Assistance Fund that helps with food insecurity and focuses on environmental and social sustainability and helps with access to food and strengthening the bonds within the community [10]. The Garden of Hope produces vegetables and fruits such as beans, squash, peppers, eggplant, lettuce, kale, tomatoes, and other vegetables, and is tended by the members who work at the WIAF, and also there is an educational program in the summer where the garden is used by not-for-profit camps for educational activities that focus on nature and gardening where the children participate in the activities and are then provided with a healthy meal and a free dessert [1].

With the Garden of Hope project, there is a sense of community as it is a great opportunity as well to socialize with the community garden and workshops that focus on gardening [10]. Any extra food is provided to the food bank at the WIAF [10].

Another program at the WIAF is the collective kitchen that exists to create a sense of community while helping those who have food insecurity such as the elderly and families [22]. The goals of the collective kitchen are: to eliminate food from being wasted by using extra food from the food banks for the collective kitchen, to provide meals to the elderly to support them and for them to not feel isolated, to encourage positive health, to help children with food insecurity through a program named Passion Plein Air Coverdale, that includes skating events and lessons for youth where there are snacks, hot chocolate and skates provided free of charge every Saturday, and lastly to teach youth how to cook to help them deal with food insecurity through an initiative named The Creative Kitchen that helps children and teens aged between 12 and 15 learn how to cook thus helping them build communication skills, confidence, a sense of curiosity and creativity [1].

There is also the thrift store named Friperie Deuxième Vie, at the WIAF that has clothes and items for the home at lower prices than other stores with the money made from the thrift store being reinvested into the food bank at the WIAF [10]. There are even coupons provided by the WIAF for those who need them for the thrift store [10]. The food bank has helped more than 1,500 people and handed out more than 9,000 grocery baskets each year showing that food insecurity matters as the need for food is worsening in Montreal and in the West Island, since at the WIAF, there has been an increase of 15% in the request for food compared to last year and many who are asking for help are working adults, children, and single parents and there are many who are using the services for the first time [1]. To help with the thrift store, donations can be dropped off directly at the thrift store [22].

There are even other programs at the WIAF that help with issues that are connected to food insecurity such as a program that gives the homeless supplies to survive, and there is even a group that supports women who deal with issues such as domestic violence [22]. Each year, the WIAF provides services, supplies and food that are worth approximately 1 million dollars, and the number of people helped has increased as there are several hundred more people that have used the services this year compared to the past however, the amount of food collected including the number of donations has decreased [22]. The percentage of those who need food and the services from the WIAF has increased by 25% whereas the amount of food and donations provided to the WIAF has decreased by about 50% therefore, highlighting the issue that food insecurity is increasing in Montreal, and in the West Island as there is now less support and help being given to the WIAF from donations and food suppliers [22]. There are also personal hygiene products that are offered to those who need services from the WIAF [21]. Proof that food insecurity is a growing issue is that studies have shown that 49% of young adults between the ages of 18 to 34 are food insecure, and therefore youth learning how to cook with the WIAF will help with food insecurity [15].