Premier Danielle Smith is facing sharp criticism from public health experts after celebrating record-high usage of food banks in Alberta, with the incident being labeled as "obscene and insulting" to struggling families.
Premier's Social Media Post Sparks Controversy
On December 24, 2025, Premier Smith posted a message on her social media account expressing gratitude for non-profits. She highlighted that her United Conservative Party (UCP) caucus had volunteered by packing potatoes at the Calgary Food Bank ahead of the holiday season. The post encouraged Albertans with the means to donate time or money to local charities.
An accompanying video showed Smith appearing "positively giddy" while describing the activity. In the footage, she applauds the fact that 800 families per day require the food bank's services, calling the figure "amazing." She also celebrated the opening of a new food bank in downtown Calgary to handle rising demand.
High Usage Signals Systemic Failure, Not Success
Professors emeritae Lynn McIntyre of the University of Calgary and Noreen Willows of the University of Alberta argue that high food bank use is a dire indicator of financial hardship, not a cause for celebration. They compare Smith's attitude to Marie Antoinette's infamous "Let them eat cake," suggesting the Premier's stance is effectively "Let them eat potatoes."
The criticism is particularly pointed given the UCP government's policy decisions. The authors note the province has kept the minimum wage at 2018 levels. They also condemn the government's clawback of a $200 Canada Disability Benefit and the creation of the Alberta Disability Assistance Program, which they say will further harm vulnerable residents currently on Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH).
Alberta Tops Provinces in Food Insecurity
The opinion piece cites stark data from Statistics Canada's 2024 Canadian Income Survey to underscore the crisis. 30.9% of Albertans lived in food-insecure households, the highest rate among all provinces. Furthermore, 22.4% of households in Alberta reported moderate or severe food insecurity, which includes compromising on food quality, skipping meals, or going entire days without eating.
The authors stress that charitable food banks are fundamentally inadequate to address this scale of need. They emphasize that food insecurity is a major risk factor for physical and mental health problems, creating preventable costs for Alberta's healthcare system.
Call for Policy Action, Not Photo Ops
McIntyre and Willows assert that the UCP has no substantive policy initiatives aimed at reducing the underlying poverty driving food insecurity. Instead of volunteering at food banks, they argue the government should implement meaningful solutions.
Their recommendations include:
- The UCP government setting a benchmarked goal for reducing food insecurity in Alberta.
- Increasing social safety net programs with indexed income supports.
They conclude that such systemic changes are "simple and fair" and would be more effective—and less offensive—than "another obscene video of the premier packing potatoes."
