Food insecurity is on the rise among Quebec students [Video]

Though students are stereotypically no stranger to eating packaged noodles for dinner, new data shows that more post-secondary students are using food banks to make ends meet.

That’s no surprise to Etienne Paré, who regularly skipped meals while doing his unpaid internship as a student in education studies.

“Most people aren’t aware that they’re dealing with food insecurity,” said Paré, now the president of the Quebec Student Union (QSU), which represents about 103,000 people through 13 student unions.

“We’re kind of being told it’s OK for to struggle as a student … And during those unpaid internships, you don’t have access to any money, really.”

A report by Moisson Montreal released Monday shows that demand is growing across the board for Quebec’s largest food bank with 2.9 million requests for food assistance each month. That’s a 55 per cent increase since 2021.

The Food Banks of Quebec says 87 per …