A priority shaped by local work
For Erin Coffin, the incoming councillor for Kanata South, food security will be one of the central issues she brings to Ottawa’s new council. Coffin said her priority is to help ensure residents have access to enough food and that local families facing hardship are connected with community support.
Coffin defeated longtime incumbent Allan Hubley in the Oct. 26 election, becoming the only new councillor to unseat a sitting councillor, according to Capital Current. Her focus on food insecurity follows years of involvement with organizations in Kanata and the surrounding community, rather than beginning with her election campaign.
Since 2015, Coffin has served as a board member and volunteer with the FAMSAC Food Cupboard. During that time, she helped guide changes to the organization’s operations and fundraising work. Those efforts generated more than $750,000 in income, according to the source report.
| Community initiative | Reported contribution |
|---|---|
| FAMSAC Food Cupboard | Board member and volunteer since 2015; more than $750,000 generated through operational and fundraising efforts |
| Great Bridlewood Food Drive | Founded in 2024; more than 100,000 pounds of food collected over three years, according to Coffin’s campaign |
| Bridlewood Community Association | Coffin served as president |
Local need can be less visible
In 2024, Coffin founded the Great Bridlewood Food Drive to support the Kanata Food Cupboard. The campaign says the effort has collected more than 100,000 pounds of food for families across Kanata during the past three years. The figures point to the scale of the volunteer and donation networks already operating in the area.
Coffin told Capital Current that food insecurity affects communities across Ottawa, including Kanata South. She said the issue may be harder to see in a ward often associated with suburban stability, but that the need is present and increasing.
“In my ward you don’t really see food insecurity as you may see it in the other wards. But it’s there and it’s growing.”
Her comments place the emphasis on identifying residents who may not be visible to traditional measures of need. Coffin said the current economic climate is making it difficult for some people, while stressing that her immediate attention will remain on the families and community groups within Kanata South.
Building on existing networks
Rather than outlining a new standalone program, Coffin said she hopes to use her experience with local organizations to strengthen initiatives already working in the ward. That includes supporting groups such as food cupboards and community-led drives, as well as encouraging neighbours to assist one another.
Her campaign highlighted the idea that residents should not be left behind and that community connections can play a role in responding to food insecurity. The approach also reflects the practical role of local volunteers, boards and fundraising campaigns in delivering assistance to families.
Coffin said her future office will also make it a priority to ensure residents feel listened to. For a councillor beginning a new term after an election that changed representation in Kanata South, that commitment links food security with broader questions about how residents access municipal support and make their concerns known.
“Making sure they are heard and feel heard is something my office is making a priority.”
The incoming councillor’s stated agenda leaves food security as an early test of how her community experience translates into municipal work. In Kanata South, that work will involve recognizing a problem Coffin says can remain out of sight, while supporting the local organizations already helping families put food on the table.
