Sunday April 26, 2026 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
A resolution addressing student affordability and food insecurity was supported by delegates at the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities (AVICC) convention this weekend.
The resolution urges AVICC and the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) to advocate for the creation of a provincial Student Food Security Grant, equivalent to $1.50 per enrolled post-secondary student, to support campus food banks operated by student unions.
The resolution was sponsored by the District of Oak Bay at the AVICC convention that has been held April 24 to 26 at the Victoria Conference Centre.
Rising food bank usage:
The resolution responds to sharply increased food bank usage driven by inflation and rising living costs, alongside the lack of stable operational funding for student-run food security programs.
It proposes what is described as a modest enrolment-based grant to support staffing and program capacity at post-secondary institutions across British Columbia, recognizing food security as a necessity for student well-being and academic success.
“It is heartbreaking to hear about the dramatic increase in food bank use at our student campuses,” said Oak Bay Councillor Carrie Smart, who drafted the resolution.
“I am pleased to be able to support advocacy for sustainable access to student food banks, so that post-secondary students can focus on learning. Students shouldn’t have to choose between buying books or their next meal,” says Smart.
Cost of living load:
“Student food insecurity and affordability is an issue that affects so many students. Combined with the cost of living, the current situation is putting students at risk, and that has to change,” said Michael Caryk, Outgoing UVSS Director of Campaigns and Community Relations and a UVIC student pursuing a degree in physical education.
“Students in our province and beyond deserve access to affordable food, travel, and living, and the $10 student ferry rate and Student Food Security Grant help us get one step closer to achieving that. This not only makes food more affordable for students, it makes education more affordable — this allows more people to stay students and continue their education,” says Caryk.
Support food banks:
“There is a pressing need to support food banks, and student-run food banks have been severely impacted by the rise in food prices and the growing cost of living crisis,” said Saanich municipal councillor Teale Phelps Bondaroff, who supported the resolution at AVICC this weekend.
“When the University of Victoria Students’ Society reported a 1,090.5% increase in campus food bank usage from spring 2020 to spring 2024, and an estimated 63.8% of UVic students are food insecure, it’s time for provincial action and support,” says Phelps Bondaroff.
“Students deserve better in such difficult and challenging times. Now more than ever we need to unite and speak up to make the lives better for all students. I am excited that we were able to get more support for the Student Food Security Grant,” said Tam Aljundi, Incoming UVSS Director of Campaigns and Community Relations.
On-campus food-growing:
“Organizations like student unions can also advocate for on-campus food growing,” says Mary Brooke, Executive Lead, Urban Food Resilience Initiatives Society (UFRIS).
That could be indoor agri-tech rooms or outdoor community gardens, says Brooke. The food would be grown on site (eliminating transportation cost), would be fresher and more nutritious.
University administrations or the provincial government could be asked to provide budget support for these sorts of food-security initiatives, says the UFRIS lead.
===== RELATED:
NEWS SECTIONS: FOOD SECURITY | URBAN FOOD RESILIENCE | AVICC | BC MUNICIPAL ELECTION 2026