Weekend bus route to emergency food bank restored after months of hardship

Over the past few months, Zak Khire had been budgeting extra time to reach the Sadaqa Food Bank — and even more to get home.

“It’s not like five, 10 minutes. It’s almost half an hour — more than a half-an-hour walk,” he said.

Sadaqa — which is only open on weekends — had been without bus service for eight months, after OC Transpo cut route 189's Saturday and Sunday runs back in April.

For people like Khire, who relies on transit, it was less than ideal.

But that changed on Sunday. After months of complaints from clients, and advocacy from both Sadaqa and Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine, route 189's weekend service was restored, reconnecting the Colonnade Road food bank to public transit for the first time since the spring.

“I’m really appreciative of the fact that we [can] take the bus now,” said Khire. “It saves me a headache.”

Sadaqa Food Bank manager Salim Jam says the loss of service only added to his clients’ hardships, many of whom already struggle with food insecurity, mobility challenges or limited income.

“It is very important for them to at least have this peace of mind that they are not going to sleep hungry,” he said.

Some people simply couldn’t make the trip at all, Jam said. They began asking for their food to be delivered, he said, a service the food bank didn't have the capacity to provide.

Only halal emergency food bank

Sadaqa is one of Ottawa’s five emergency food banks and the only one that provides halal food. It serves people from anywhere in the city when other food cupboards are closed, but it’s only open on Saturdays and Sundays — the same days the bus route had been cut.

Devine said that mismatched schedule made the situation urgent.

His office began working with the food bank and OC Transpo earlier this summer, after learning that clients were facing long walks or booking expensive taxi rides just to access free food.

Devine said the decision to restore the route “is not about the number of riders, but about the experience of the people who have lost that bus.”

OC Transpo ultimately agreed, restoring weekend service on Sunday.

“Their challenges are already tough enough and this is going to make their lives a little bit easier,” said Devine.

Jam says the return of a warm bus ride, especially heading into winter, makes a real difference for families trying to put food on the table.

“This is really something wonderful for them. They feel less worried about the food at least, and that's what we're here for,” said Jam.

Khire agrees.

“There’s a lot of people who come to this location,” he said, adding that now, “it’s going to be easy for them.”