BY: Nathasha Wasdani

On Saturday, Feb 11, 2024, The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) held a nationwide protest on the 20th anniversary of its foundation: National Action Day. Among other parts of Canada, the large influence of these protests could be felt at the Jane and Finch mall, where members of the ACORN group led their procession to different local supermarket chains, hand delivering a letter of action addressed to the CEOs of the grocery chain. Similar protests took place across 9 cities in Canada where the ACORN group protesters, along with the local shoppers and media, could be seen displaying banners and chanting.

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) Canada is a membership-only community union established in 2004. It comprises over 140,000 low—to moderate-income individual members across Canada. ACORN members actively unite to voice concerns against large corporations and landlords and advocate for government reforms that safeguard their rights.

Before this protest, the ACORN group urged its online readership to send letters to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. They sought to have them impose caps on food prices and tax the big companies that have been using tax-evasive methods to inflate profits, as claimed by ACORN.

According to Statistics Canada, the cost of food in Canada increased by 3.90% in January 2024 compared to the prior year.

In October 2023, in response to previous protests on food inflation, the Trudeau government devised an action plan that outlined the first steps to stabilize the costs as voters continued to threaten the polls over the high costs of living.

The ongoing efforts of ACORN outline the importance of collective action in bringing about positive change in the face of economic challenges.