Submitted by Tobermory Community Outreach
On May 8, a delegation from Tobermory met with MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, Paul Vickers, regarding the issue of local food insecurity. The group was comprised of Rev. Sheryl Spencer (chair, Tobermory Community Outreach), Sara Tulloch (Community Coordinator, Tobermory Meeting Place), Linda Godhue (volunteer, Tobermory Community Outreach and Tobermory Food Bank) and Steve Lindsay (Chair, Tobermory Food Bank).
Sara Tulloch outlined her work with the Tobermory Meeting Place and told Mr. Vickers that the number of clients seeking community information and resources has increased 60% already this year. Steve Lindsay shared with Mr. Vickers that hamper requests to the Tobermory Food Bank have increased 50% from 2025 and that the number of people served has increased by 21 in the same time frame.
Linda Godhue spoke specifically about the living wage, outlining that a recent report issued by Living Wage Ontario showed the living wage for 2025 in Bruce-Grey was $24.60 an hour, an increase of 6.7% from 2024. Linda pointed out that the only place in Ontario where it costs more to live than in Bruce-Grey is Toronto at $27.20 per hour.
Rev. Sheryl drew Mr. Vickers’ attention to the excellent work done by Grey-Bruce Public Health in their report issued in late 2024, “Monitoring Food Availability in Grey-Bruce: The Cost of Eating Well and the Urgent Issue of Food Insecurity” and pointed out the recommendations addressed specifically to the provincial government.
The meeting came about as the result of a letter sent from Tobermory Community Outreach to MPP Vickers. Though Tobermory Community Outreach is mainly involved with community emergency assistance, the group supported the writing of the letter because of the worsening of food insecurity in our community. “We’re in the business of providing charity,” Rev. Sheryl explained to Mr. Vickers, “and we’re doing our best, but there comes a time when what’s needed is systemic change.” Mr. Vickers listened graciously to the group’s concerns and received a copy of the Grey-Bruce Public Health report, information on Tobermory Community Outreach, Tobermory Meeting Place and the Tobermory Food Bank.
