The number of people turning to food banks is surging across Alberta and inching up in other parts of the country.
With so many rumblings of a recession, those on the front lines believe the upswing could be a sign of tough times ahead for much of Canada.
When the economy's in trouble, they say, the early signs appear at the food bank. It's where people turn when their employment insurance runs out or their savings account runs dry.
Due to a slow down in the oil patch, food banks across Alberta are suddenly overrun with demand. Today, Alberta Food Banks is issuing a news release with an urgent call for donations, saying "the shelves are bare" at many locations.
Edmonton's Food Bank reports its numbers are surging. The number of people collecting monthly hampers has risen 12.5% compared with this time last year.
As Canada's economy continues to sputter, some experts see the growing numbers in Alberta as a bad sign. One suspects it's "the canary in the coal mine this time."
The last time, she says, Ontario took the lead. Months before the 2008 recession, Toronto and surrounding regions saw the signs first — a sudden spike in people turning to food banks.
Ontario was first to feel the pain during the last recession because of the downturn in manufacturing.
Now, with a downturn in the oil sector, experts suspects Alberta's food banks are a harbinger of harder economic times.
