Calgary Food Pantry: Community Source Cut Amid Rising Hunger

CALGARY, AB — A community-run food pantry near 12th Avenue and 2nd Street SW has been removed, cutting off a grassroots food source for unhoused Calgarians and neighbors struggling with food insecurity. Volunteers who stocked the structure with sandwiches, juice, and pantry staples are now searching for answers—and alternatives.

The pantry's disappearance comes as Calgary grapples with rising hunger. The Calgary Food Bank distributed over 200,000 emergency hampers between September 2024 and August 2025, while the Calgary Foundation's 2025 Quality of Life Report found 28% of residents—up 8% from the previous year—now seek help from community food programs.

The Bylaw Friction

While the City hasn't issued a public statement on this specific removal, community pantries typically fall into a regulatory grey zone. The City of Calgary's Street Use Bylaws prohibit unauthorized structures in public right-of-ways, and the Land Use Bylaw 1P2007 regulates temporary structures on city land. Alberta Health Services' Food Safety Regulations can also trigger concerns over temperature control and expired food, even for non-commercial operations.

The twist: A nearly identical project exists just blocks away—with permission. The Beltline Fridge and Pantry Project at 221 12th Avenue SW relaunched in October 2024 after securing City permits, proving sanctioned community food-sharing can work in Calgary. The removed pantry appears to have been a separate, unsanctioned effort.

The Cost of Compliance

The disconnect highlights a broader tension. Volunteers operate these pantries on donations and sweat equity, providing low-cost relief that supplements formal food banks. Removal costs taxpayers nothing beyond Bylaw Services staff time, but the loss hits hard for people who depend on immediate, barrier-free access to food.

A 2025 report on food-sharing practices in North American cities noted a trend: municipalities increasingly impose permit requirements or compliance hurdles on groups distributing food in public spaces, often citing health and safety concerns.

What's Next

Volunteers are now hunting for other community pantries to restock, though the City hasn't published clear guidelines on how to establish a permitted pantry outside the Beltline model. The question remains whether Calgary will create a pathway for these grassroots operations—or continue enforcing bylaws that sweep them away without offering alternatives.

For now, one less pantry means one more gap in a city where nearly three in ten people occasionally go without enough food.