Vital Signs 2026 is a community check-up that measures vitality, identifies significant trends and supports action on issues that are critical to our quality of life. Our report contains important data on 6 topics related to life in Grey Bruce: health and wellness, the environment, living standards, arts and culture, education, and community connections.
This report is part of a nation-wide movement where numerous Community Foundations from across Canada release their individual Vital Signs reports. Visit the Vital Signs website at www.vitalsignscanada.ca to read reports from other regions.
The Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force is a contributing member of the Vital Signs Advisory Committee along with other partners. Our partner perspective is featured in the 2026 Report in the section on living standards. Living standards refers to the distribution of wealth and economic security, including employment opportunities, housing and homelessness, poverty, food security and transportation.
Affordable housing and addressing homelessness are major considerations in providing community health, economic vitality, and reducing public costs on health care and emergency services. This Report has a dedicated section focused on housing and homelessness. This follows up on the Vital Conversations on Housing Report 2021.
Between 2021 and 2023, 18.3% of households in Grey Bruce experienced food insecurity, an increase from 17.5% in 2020. At the same time, the cost of groceries has become unaffordable for many families. In 2024, a family of four required approximately $1,250 per month for groceries alone.
These are not just statistics —they show a crisis in our communities rooted in poverty, policy, and systemic inequality. Food insecurity is not a matter of charity. It is a matter of justice.
The Poverty Task Force’s recent Written Submission to the Federal 2026 Pre-Budget Consultation urges the Government of Canada to take immediate action in its 2026 Budget to address rising poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, and economic inequality in rural communities. Across Grey and Bruce Counties, local organizations are facing unprecedented demand for emergency food programs, housing supports, and financial assistance while families struggle to keep up with the rising cost of living.
Rural communities are increasingly being asked to compensate for gaps in public policy through charitable food programs and emergency supports. While these programs are vital, they cannot replace strong income security systems, affordable housing, accessible childcare, and equitable social supports.
Food insecurity, homelessness, and poverty are not caused by individual failure. They are the result of inadequate incomes, unaffordable housing, low wages, and insufficient public investment in social infrastructure. Budget 2026 presents an opportunity for the federal government to strengthen Canada’s social safety net and ensure that all Canadians can meet their basic needs with dignity.
A Call to Action
Food insecurity, homelessness, and poverty are not caused by individual failure. They are the result of inadequate incomes, unaffordable housing, low wages, and insufficient public investment in social infrastructure. Budget 2026 presents an opportunity for the federal government to strengthen Canada’s social safety net and ensure that all Canadians can meet their basic needs with dignity.
The Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force recommends the following federal priorities:
Improve transportation and employment opportunities for youth.
Reduce household food insecurity through stronger income supports and investments in equitable food systems.
Strengthen the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit.
Increase the Canada Disability Benefit to end disability poverty.
Simplify and expand eligibility for disability-related federal benefits.
Invest in affordable childcare and the early learning workforce.
Expand affordable and supportive housing in rural communities.
At our March Food Security Action Group meeting, Simona Freiberg shared their latest numbers and documentation from the Grey Bruce Community Garden Network.
In a world that often emphasizes individual success, the true strength of a community lies in its togetherness. Community gardens serve as a beautiful testament to the power of collaboration, fostering food security, wellness, and shared purpose. They are not just about growing food; they are about growing relationships, resilience, and hope.
Food Security Through Community Effort
Food security means having reliable access to sufficient, nutritious food. In community gardens, members take an active role in ensuring this security, cultivating fruits, vegetables, and herbs that nourish both body and spirit. Growing our own food fosters independence while reinforcing interdependence—when a neighbor needs support, the community is there to help. Watch this inspiring video on community gardening in Grey Bruce: Community Gardens Video
The Role of Each Member
Each person who participates in a community garden plays a vital role. Whether it’s planting, watering, harvesting, or sharing knowledge, every contribution strengthens the collective wellness of the group. In these shared spaces, the emphasis is on cooperation rather than competition. Unlike the isolation of individualism, community gardens promote unity, showing that we are always stronger together.
Healing Through Growth and Sharing
The act of planting and harvesting is deeply therapeutic. Gardening has been shown to reduce stress, improve mental health, and create a sense of fulfillment. The joy of watching seeds turn into nourishment reflects the potential for transformation—not just in the soil, but within our communities. Sharing the harvest further deepens the sense of belonging, reinforcing the idea that no one should go hungry when abundance exists within our collective hands.
Join the Movement: 2025 Garden Educational Workshops
To continue this journey of empowerment and sustainability, we invite you to take part in their 2025 Garden Educational Workshops. These workshops will offer hands-on learning experiences for both beginners and seasoned gardeners, covering topics such as soil health, sustainable practices, and efficient food production.
Together, we can cultivate a future where food security is a shared responsibility and our communities thrive through the bonds we build in the garden. For more details, contact Simona at simifreiberg@gmail.com.
Get Involved with the Community Garden Network
To further support and expand the impact of community gardens, explore the Grey Bruce Community Garden Network through The Sustainability Project. This initiative connects individuals and organizations, fostering knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and sustainability in community gardening efforts.
Please feel free to contact Simona with any questions, thoughts, or ideas you may have for Community Gardens. If you are interested in gathering some seeds for gardening, please reach out as there are plenty to share. If your organization is interested in starting a garden, Simona is always happy to share knowledge and collaborate when possible.
Community Foundation Grey Bruce Grant deadline is April 15, 2025.
Community Grants are an opportunity to support new or expanding projects and programs that improve the community vitality of Grey and Bruce Counties. Applications from eligible community service organizations of up to $5,000 will be considered. Applicants must either have a registered charitable number or be sponsored by an organization that is a CRA qualified done within Grey or Bruce County. Contact the office at 519-371-7203 to ensure your project is eligible for funding before filling out an application form or email foundation@cfgb.ca Criteria for Granting- https://cfgb.ca/grants/community/criteria/https://www.communityfoundationgreybruce.com/grants/community
Robin Cork, Food Security Action Group Chair and Food Coordinator, United Way of Bruce Grey
We are starting 2025 with an impactful series of meetings on Community Hubs in Grey Bruce.
Colleen Seaman Trask’s presentation this Friday on OSHaRE will provide valuable insights into how community hubs can evolve and expand their services to meet a variety of needs. Grey Bruce Food Share, Supportive Outreach Services, Family Assist Market and other health clinics at OSHaRE are great examples of how a community hub can become a multi-faceted resource.
Our discussion will be on:
The Evolution of Community Meal Programs: Highlighting how OSHaRE’s meal program started and transformed into a more comprehensive service that addresses food insecurity, health care access, and community connections.
Partnerships and Collaboration: The role of partnerships with local organizations, food rescue, and volunteers in making these services sustainable and impactful. And how the OSHaRE model can be adapted or implemented in other areas of Grey Bruce.
Sustainability Challenges: How OSHaRE has navigated the challenges of funding and resources. And what long-term sustainability challenges exist in meeting the diverse needs of the community.
Please join us for some insightful conversation!
FOOD SECURITY
2024 was a rough year for many households. We have seen a significant increase in the number of people accessing shelters, food banks, community meals and seeking financial assistance. Bruce Power distributed $300,000 to food banks this past year to support the need. It is important to upload your data to Food Bruce Grey to ensure that you are on the Bruce Power distribution list.
OSHaRE: distributed 25,000 meals in the month of November and 23,000 in December 2024. These monthly numbers still remain higher per month than pre-pandemic annual numbers. A total of 197,128 meals in 2024.
Meaford Food Bank: added 96 new households in 2024. 211 households were served food hampers in December 2024 and 256 children benefited from their Christmas Star shopping program.
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church: on average provide food hampers to 55 people weekly. They saw a slight decline in December to 27 people/week.
Grey Bruce Good Food Box: volunteers packed 17,878 boxes and 2,700 tokens were distributed across the region (note: not all December data is included) at 23 locations.
AMO Municipalities Under Pressure Report: Ontario has seen a staggering increase in homelessness in recent years. For the first time, this report collected and analyzed data from all 47 consolidated municipal services managers in the province to fully illustrate the scope of the crisis. Report data demonstrates a systemic failure that extends beyond housing, reflecting deep gaps in healthcare, mental-health services, justice systems and more. Reports on Ontario’s Homelessness Crisis, Water and Wastewater Utility Feasibility | AMO
In 2024, 81,515 people experienced homelessness and 41,512 people experienced chronic homelessness in Ontario.
17,000 permanent shelter beds exist in Ontario.
Without significant intervention, homelessness could more than triple by 2035, leaving up to 294,266 people without stable housing.
In Grey County:
Grey County is experiencing similar trends to other rural communities across the province. Locally, a point in time count in 2024 revealed 375 individuals experiencing homelessness in Grey County. Of these individuals, 65 identify as Indigenous, 80 are children 15 and under, and 45 are youth ages 16-24. Adults account for 252 of the individuals and seniors (65+) 8. 253 of individuals are experiencing chronic homelessness.
Grey County also provides subsidized housing and maintains a housing waitlist. The waitlist has grown from 1,517 in 2022 to 2,230 in 2024.
In 2024, funding for housing and homelessness in Ontario was estimated at $4.1 billion. Of the three levels of government, 51.5% of was funded by municipalities. Grey County has invested $6.55 million since 2022 in homelessness support with projects including the purchase and renovation of a property in Owen Sound for supportive housing and the purchase of a former motel for short-term emergency shelter.
In 2023 Grey County partnered with CMHA to offer transitional, supportive housing to residents of Grey County who have experienced chronic homelessness. The first participants of the program moved in December 2023 and since that time seven have graduated to permanent, stable housing with ongoing connection to CMHA supports. This program offers opportunities to build skills and work on personal goals with the objective of being successful in maintaining permanent housing and ending the cycle of homelessness.
Grey County took a major step in providing expanded short-term housing options with our acquisition of a 22-room motel in Owen Sound in February of 2024. This acquisition has allowed for reduced operating costs, improved access to staff and supports on site and a higher level of dignity for community members experiencing homelessness. This expansion of program services will allow for an increase of 5,600 nights of accommodations bringing the total capacity to 13,000 nights of short-term accommodations with the same level of operating funding.
In addition to the 2 facilities, Grey County provides funding to Safe N Sound Grey Bruce to operate an overnight warming space for up to 18 individuals nightly. This provides a supportive environment with staff on site providing referrals to services, someone to talk to and refreshments. These spaces throughout the course of the winter support more than 3,000 nights of warmth to members of our community.
Over the course of 2024, Grey County staff and community partners supported 176 households in exiting homelessness into stable accommodations, of those households 123 maintain those accommodations at the present time.
The report notes the disparities of those facing homelessness in rural communities compared to cities including shelter capacity and affordable housing shortages, specialized supports, urban inflow pressures and transportation barriers. Without significant investment and coordination across all three levels of government, it will not be possible to scale up the infrastructure needed to create a system where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring. https://www.grey.ca/news/providing-grey-county-perspective-amo-municipalities-under-pressure-report
The National Indigenous Women’s Housing Network and Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network: launched “Mobilizing on the Right to Housing for Women and Gender-Diverse People in Canada: A Community Organizer’s Guide!” The Guide mobilizes communities to contribute to Canada’s first-ever human rights-based review panel on homelessness for women and gender-diverse people. Download the resourceAbout Us — Gender Housing Justice
Tax Breaks: starting December 14th, 2024, the government has paused the GST & HST on groceries, kids’ clothes/toys, and other essentials. Those eligible for the rebate must be 18 years or older at the end of 2023; be a resident in Ontario on December 31, 2023; have filed their 2023 Income Tax and Benefit Return by December 31, 2024; and not be bankrupt or incarcerated in 2024.
Basic Income Guaranteed Forum Report: was released after a national conference. The approach favoured in Canada is that of a basic income guarantee that takes other income into account and provides most help to those who need it most. Basic income is a strategic investment to improve wellbeing. It can tackle the polycrisis we are facing far more effectively than our current patchwork of programs. BIG Success in the Making Doc – Eng + Fr
Owen Sound Transit (OST): is making changes to its transit system effective January 2025, including updates to fare structures and a pilot project involving a route change. These amendments aim to improve transit options while maintaining affordability for residents. Changes to Owen Sound Transit Fares and Routes for 2025 | City of Owen Sound
PUBLIC WEBINAR | From Policy to Practice: Advancing the National Poverty Reduction Strategy | January 22 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET | This webinar will explore what the Council heard from people across Canada in 2024, the federal government’s role in reducing poverty, as well as highlighting how communities – local organizations, collaboratives, associations and individual community members – can action this report. WEBINAR | From Policy to Practice: Advancing the National Poverty Reduction Strategy
