Moisson Montréal: The Warehouse Behind the Island’s Food Banks

What they do

Moisson Montréal is the food bank for the island of Montreal, and the largest food bank in Canada. It doesn’t hand out baskets at its own door. Instead, it collects food and basic products from grocers, producers, manufacturers and the public, sorts it in its warehouse on chemin de la Côte-de-Liesse in Saint-Laurent, and supplies 292 community organizations across the island: neighbourhood food banks, community kitchens, shelters and more.

The scale is hard to picture. In 2024-2025, the food it distributed was valued at $187 million, and its network fills well over a million food-aid requests every month. A lot of what lands in a basket at a church hall or community centre near you passed through this warehouse first.

How it started

Moisson Montréal was founded in 1984. Four decades later it still runs on the same idea: collect good food that would otherwise go to waste, and get it to the local groups that know their neighbours best. Volunteers have always been part of that. The food bank says it needs about 53 volunteers every single day to sort, check and pack.

Why it matters this December

Every October, Quebec’s food banks publish the Bilan-Faim, a snapshot of who is asking for help. The 2026 edition, released on October 21, was hard reading. Organizations in Moisson Montréal’s network now handle more than 1.25 million food-aid requests a month, and they served 269,897 different people. Nearly a third of them, 32.6%, are children. And 24.6% of households that named their main source of income live on a salary, so a job is no guarantee against an empty fridge.

The strain shows on the ground. One in two member organizations has already cut the size of its baskets, and one in four has had to turn people away. Executive director Chantal Vézina told Noovo Info that having to refuse someone, or send them to another group, is the hardest part.

December is also when the warehouse fills with holiday baskets. In 2025, Moisson Montréal produced 42,000 of them, each holding 20 items, with up to 100 volunteers a day packing from early October. Its plans for the 2026 holiday season haven’t been posted yet.

How to help

• Give money. The food bank says every dollar donated lets it redistribute more than $15 worth of food. You can donate on its website.
• Volunteer a shift. Individuals, companies and groups can sign up for a half day, a full day or several times a year. Dress warm: it’s a warehouse.
• Donate food. Moisson Montréal collects food and basic products all year, and food processors, producers and distributors can sign up as regular donors.
• Need help yourself? Dial 211, Quebec’s free referral line, to find the community food bank that serves your neighbourhood.

Moisson Montréal is at 6880 chemin de la Côte-de-Liesse. Phone: 514-344-4494.

Official website moissonmontreal.org