Alberta leads country with sharp increase in food bank use

Alberta food banks have seen demand rise by more than 23 per cent this year compared to 2014, according to national HungerCount statistics released Tuesday in Ottawa.

Alberta experienced the highest jump nationally, with a record 67,443 people accessing food banks during the month of March.

The average increase across the country was 1.3 per cent.

Edmonton's Food Bank served 17,722 people in October 2015, an increase of 21.5 over the year before.

"We're seeing people who are on different kinds of welfare programs struggling," said Marjorie Bencz, executive director of the Edmonton Food Bank. "But we're also seeing people who are working, who just can't make ends meet."

Across Alberta, 75 per cent of the food banks reported an increase in demand for services in the past year.