LENTIL is a citizen-led, Regina-based initiative that bridges research and policy action. We map food deserts to reveal the hidden geography of food access, and to build the case for change.
“We believe everyone deserves access to fresh, nutritious food within walking distance of home. When that access is denied, it's not individual choice. It's how cities are structured.”
Food deserts don't appear randomly. They cluster in economically disadvantaged areas due to decades of zoning decisions, corporate disinvestment, and urban planning choices that prioritized some neighborhoods over others.
When a grocery store leaves a neighborhood, it's rarely replaced. When chains expand, they follow wealth to suburbs. The result: residents in lower-income areas travel farther, pay more at convenience stores, and face higher rates of diet-related disease.
These patterns are not accidental. They are the result of systemic barriers that can be identified, measured, and addressed through policy.
Our methodology adapts peer-reviewed research from urban food access studies, combining pedestrian network analysis with three validated socioeconomic indicators. We use open data sources (Census 2021, Statistics Canada indices, and City of Regina geospatial data) to ensure transparency and reproducibility.
We provide policymakers, advocates, and residents with the data they need to understand where food access gaps exist and who is most affected. Our goal isn't just to describe the problem. It's to create tools that support action.
Explore the interactive map to see food deserts in Regina, check your own address, and discover how different indicators reveal different patterns of inequity.