Burnaby is finally moving ahead with a plan to fund a grant program for food security groups after two years of rejecting requests.
At a meeting Feb. 11, city council unanimously approved a proposal by Coun. Sav Dhaliwal to dedicate funding to the program.
In 2023 and 2024, council rejected several requests from groups that provide food support to Burnaby residents in need, waiting until the city developed a food system strategy.
Rejections included a $10,000 request from Gordon Presbyterian Church for its "Don't Go Hungry" program which serves about 560 family members per week in Edmonds and a $7,000 request from St. Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church for a community meal program that offers a monthly free meal to about 50 to 60 participants in need, according to a staff report.
The food system strategy was adopted in October, and it recommended reviewing the city’s community grant policy to better support the needs of Burnaby’s social service sector.
The strategy asked council to consider creating a small grant program for food security organizations to:
- upgrade facilities
- purchase fridges or freezers
- expand or install responsible waste management (e.g. composting)
- improve spaces that uses programs to provide food to people
The city’s current annual budget for community grants is $400,000.
But while Coun. Pietro Calendino supported Dhaliwal’s request to fund a food sustainability grant program, he said these social services are not the city’s bailiwick.
“We are going into a field a that is really the responsibility of other levels of government, and we are bailing them out one more time,” Calendino said. “And they will be very happy to keep downloading on us.”
“We need to help people in need, but again, we are supplanting what the other orders of government should be doing … and we have to go to our ratepayers for the amount of money that we need.”
Mayor Mike Hurley agreed with Calendino.
“We continue to be the whipping boys of the other orders of government, but more and more, we’re stepping up to do their jobs.”
“And without a thank you,” Calendino added.
“Without a thank you? Well, isn’t that so true,” the mayor replied.
Other councillors stressed the need for the grant money.
“We know that, every day, food insecurity is a real issue for Burnaby residents,” Coun. Maita Santiago said.
“It cuts across, of course, all ages, but most especially, we’ve heard it hits our seniors as well as families with young kids quite hard,” she added.
“The need is certainly there.”
Council unanimously supported Dhaliwal’s motion to develop the grant policy. Staff will report back to council for approval, and funding will be requested as part of the 2025 budget.
