Ontario’s Affordability Crisis Deserves Real Solutions
Tyler Watt joined by Barrhaven West City Councillor David Hill, and Barrhaven East City Councillor Wilson Lo and volunteers for the Barrhaven Food Cupboard at an event on December 31, 2025.
Column published in the January 15, 2026 edition of Your Barrhaven Independent — Community Voice.
By: Tyler Watt, MPP
People in Nepean are feeling the strain of rising costs of living, especially after the holiday season. Whether it’s a higher grocery bill, ever-increasing rent or mortgage payments, or rising utilities, the cost of living continues to climb faster than household incomes. I hear it every day from parents, seniors, and young people who are doing the right things—working hard, budgeting carefully, and limiting expenses—yet still falling behind.
Food prices have seen some of the sharpest increases. As a result, we are seeing a surge in food insecurity across our communities, and food banks across the province are struggling to keep up with demand. The Barrhaven Food Cupboard currently serves over 700 families (~3,000 of our neighbours) every month, with the need for support increasing by 44% year over year.
Before the legislature rose for winter break, the Ontario Liberal Caucus urged Premier Doug Ford to step up with real support for food banks during the holiday season. While long-term funding solutions are still needed, my caucus colleagues and I called on the government to follow in the steps of Manitoba and maritime provinces by selling the LCBO’s already-purchased, dust-collecting stockpile of American liquor and donate the proceeds to food banks in desperate need of support.
The cost-of-living crisis didn’t happen overnight, and it won’t be solved overnight with short-term fixes or one-time rebate cheques. What Ontarians need is a credible, long-term affordability plan that addresses the biggest pressures: housing, food, energy, and income security.
This is why my colleagues and I are focused on practical, sustained solutions to put money back into people’s pockets and lower everyday costs. This includes cutting the middle-class income tax rate, allowing working people to keep more of what they earn. It would also remove the provincial portion of the HST from home heating and hydro bills, a meaningful change that would provide ongoing relief for households, especially during cold winter months.
Nepean families don’t need slogans or one-time cheques—they need a government that treats affordability like the crisis and long-term challenge that it is. The people of our community are doing their part; they’re working hard to care for neighbours and support local organizations that make this community strong. Now it’s time for the provincial government to do its part. Real affordability means sustained support—for households under pressure, for food banks, community groups, health centres, and businesses that keep Nepean moving. I’ll continue to push for solutions that lower costs and deliver meaningful investment. Because an affordable Ontario isn’t just possible – it’s necessary.
