Westland Insurance mobilized employees from more than 80 branches across five provinces on May 27 for its first National Food Drive, collecting 13,430 pounds of flood and raining $20,912.50 for local food banks in a significant scaling of a longstanding community commitment.
The one-day initiative spanned British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, with Westland teams partnering with local grocery stores to make donating accessible.
The drive marks the national expansion of an initiative that began eight years ago when Rhonda Dozois, a regional sales manager, organized a food drive at her branch in Westbank, BC.
"Supporting our communities has always been at the heart of what we do," Dozois said. "Seeing our people come together to support food banks has been incredibly meaningful. It's amazing to see how a small idea can grow into something that creates real impact."
The initiative arrives as Canada's food bank system faces pressure that shows no sign of meaningful easing. Food Banks Canada recorded nearly 2.2 million visits in a single month in 2025, double the monthly usage of just six years ago and a threshold that took decades to first reach. Nearly one in five food bank clients (19.4%) are employed but still cannot make ends meet, compared with just over one in 10 in 2019, reflecting a structural shift in who depends on the food bank system.
Meanwhile, new data from Statistics Canada reinforced the severity of the challenge. Its 2024 Canadian Income Survey found that nearly 10 million people across Canada struggled to afford enough food in 2025, while 4.5 million people lived below the poverty line in 2024. Since 2019, the consumer price index has risen roughly 21%, but food prices have increased 31% and shelter costs by 30%, compressing household budgets from multiple directions at once.
The affordability pressures driving food bank demand are directly relevant to the insurance sector. Ratehub.ca's 2026 insurance predictions flagged that rising living costs are leading more Canadians to purchase shorter-term, lower-cost life insurance policies, with cost cited as a primary reason many do not have adequate coverage.
Meanwhile, KPMG's 2026 Insurance Trends Outlook highlighted that escalating affordability pressures and widening protection gaps are reshaping risk across Canada, with 72% of insurance CEOs now embedding sustainability into their business strategies in response.
Westland's food drive also reflects a broader dynamic in how Canada's larger brokerages are differentiating themselves as the industry consolidates.
Private equity-fueled platforms, succession pressures and rising costs are set to intensify Canada's broker M&A race in 2026, with national players securing scale advantages in technology, compliance and insurer relationships that regional brokers often struggle to match. In that environment, employer brand and community identity are becoming meaningful competitive assets, particularly in recruitment and client retention.
Westland trades over $4 billion of premium and its 2025 Community Impact Report detailed more than $700,000 in donations, 280 community initiatives and over 3,400 employee volunteer hours during the year. The National Food Drive builds on that foundation, extending a local tradition to the organization's full national footprint for the first time.
Dozois, who originated the initiative, said the scale of need made the expansion timely.
"With the rising cost of groceries, more individuals and families are turning to food banks for support. What I love most about our food drive is how it brings people together locally. Every donation, big or small, helps make a difference for someone."
