Poilievre helps out at city food bank, slams Liberals on inflation

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre marked Thanksgiving in Winnipeg by assisting volunteers at a local food bank in packing hampers for people in need.

The leader of the federal official Opposition stopped in at Agape Table on Furby Street Monday afternoon, where volunteers set up an assembly line of food and household products to pack in boxes for the non-profit’s Tuesday food bank.

“Prices have gone up a lot, people are suffering a lot,” said Poilievre, as he spoke with the non-profit’s volunteer coordinator.

He asked the coordinator, Aaron Scarff, whether demand had increased in recent years and ahead the holiday weekend in particular, before helping fill a few of the hampers.

Scarff replied that requests for hampers had increased substantially in recent years, but added the organization was there to help.

The organization hands out food hampers on Tuesdays and Thursdays, reaching about 300 families weekly, said Agape Table’s executive director, Jim Steep.

“It’s pretty cool. For them to think of Agape Table is great for us,” said Steep of the federal party leader’s visit.

The non-profit also feeds scores more people breakfast Monday through Friday.

Poilievre told reporters and the volunteers that the Conservatives are focusing on affordability in the fall session of Parliament, and took aim at the federal Liberals over inflation, rising food prices and taxes.

“If you let people keep more of their pay cheques, through lower taxes, they can actually afford good meat and potatoes on the dinner table every single night, like you used to be able to do in Canada,” he said.

“This is a time for us to celebrate all we’re thankful for, but also to think a lot about the people who are among those millions of Canadians who rely on food banks after a decade of Liberal food price inflation.”

Asked why he chose to visit Winnipeg, he criticized the federal Liberals on cost-of-living and crime.

“I’m here with a message of hope for the people of Winnipeg, that we can have stronger take-home pay, with affordable food and homes and safe streets,” said Poilievre.

Poilievre was assisted by his party’s two newest local Members of Parliament, Grant Jackson, who represents Brandon—Souris, and Colin Reynolds, who represents Elmwood—Transcona.

The men both won their seats in the April federal election.

Jackson, a former Progressive Conservative Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, stepped down to run for the federal Conservatives after former area MP Larry Maguire announced he would not seek re-election due to health concerns.

Reynolds, an electrician, beat out one-time New Democratic Party MP Leila Dance, who he had lost to in a 2024 election.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca