Increased pressure is being put on the federal government to provide a final piece of capital funding to build a new headquarters for Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank. (City of Nanaimo)

By Ian Holmes

funding request

Nanaimo food bank project in jeopardy without funding boost: executive director

Mar 8, 2024 | 4:23 PM

NANAIMO — A long-envisioned new home for Nanaimo Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank is starving for a lifeline from the federal government.

Already with local, regional and provincial government financial support, Loaves and Fishes executive director Peter Sinclair said significantly more money is required to build an expanded food recovery and storage hub.

“We’re looking for another $7 million to ensure we can complete this project. We’ve got it ready to roll, we’ve just put the project out to tender and are expecting all the proposals to be back by the end of this month,” Sinclair told NanaimoNewsNOW.

While he’s hopeful a building permit can be awarded by the City by years end, Sinclair said it’s difficult to picture the project advancing to construction without the federal government on board.

“We’re working hard to look at all the options. We can look at taking out a mortgage and getting financing, but on $7 million I don’t know if we can afford the monthly payments on that. There will be difficult, difficult decisions for us to make if this funding doesn’t come through.”

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Sinclair said those difficult decisions could include delaying or even potentially cancelling the project.

He said their board of directors has clearly stated it does not want shovels in the ground until all the required funding is in place.

Of particular concern is the future status of $7 million committed by the B.C government should the balance of what’s required not materialize.

In 2021 the City of Nanaimo bought property on East Wellington Rd. for $1.3 million to lease to Loaves and Fishes in order for the non-profit organization to build new location.

The Regional District of Nanaimo chipped in with $300,000 to assist with design and development costs.

Estimated last spring to cost in the $11.5 million range, Sinclair said the cost of their warehouse project just off Bowen Rd. has been inching upward as time passes.

He said this week their organization formally upped their request to Infrastructure Canada from $5 to $7 million.

NanaimoNewsNOW made multiple requests over the course of a week for comment from Infrastructure Canada on requests for the federal government to provide funding for the Nanaimo food bank project.

No response was received by publishing time.

Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Loaves and Fishes’ Peter Sinclair and Nanaimo-Ladysmith NDP MP Lisa Marie Barron serve food to those who need it on Friday, March 8 in Nanaimo. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Nanaimo-Ladysmith NDP MP Lisa Marie Barron requested federal funding to prime minister Justin Trudeau during question period last week, however Trudeau ignored the question and instead focused on food policy objectives the government is working on.

While attending a weekly Loaves and Fishes food market in Nanaimo’s Harewood neighbourhood on Friday, March 8, Nanaimo Ladysmith NDP MP Lisa Marie Barron said the prime minister’s non-answer to her question was “unfortunate”, but not surprising.

“Ultimately this is a non partisan issue, this is the reality that we have a food bank that is serving more and more people and trying to keep up with the need in our communities,” Barron told reporters.

Barron said a letter signed by Vancouver Island MP’s calling for federal support for the Loaves and Fishes project in Nanaimo has been sent to Canada’s infrastructure minister.

In Nanaimo, federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said the local food bank project clearly warrants support from the governing Liberals.

“We’re putting pressure on them to get involved, they absolutely should. This is the type of project that would allow for food security, would improve access to food in a time when people are struggling with the cost of food,” Singh said.

Despite being based out of a cramped south Nanaimo warehouse on Fry St., Nanaimo Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank has expanded drastically over the last several years to serve most of Vancouver Island.

The organization provides food to roughly 3,500 people in Nanaimo on a monthly basis.

Loaves and Fishes executive director Peter Sinclair (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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ian@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes