The Foundation of Greater Montreal is blowing the whistle on child and teen welfare in Montreal, with rates of violence, hunger, and poverty exceeding those of other Canadian cities.
On Tuesday, the Foundation's president, Yvan Gauthier, made a report public called Signes Vitaux des Enfants (Children's Vital Signs) which, among other things, shows no less than 35,000 Montreal children and teenagers rely on food banks in the city — a rate which far exceeds that in other major Canadian cities.
It adds more than a third of poor neighborhoods — 35.8 per cent — in all of Canada can be found in Montreal.
Gauthier also suggests violence is another disproportionately large issue facing those under 18 in the city.
"The rate of domestic violence within the census metropolitan area of Montreal is higher than in other metropolitan regions in Canada," Gauthier says. "We need more study around this question of violence — what are the causes of it."
Where Montreal does well is in parks, child care and healthy living conditions.
Gauthier is urging Montrealers to back initiatives that address the most serious issues.
About 30 organizations which work with kids contributed to the Foundation's report.
-CJAD 800's Emily Campbell contributed to this report.