Nearly a million Ontario children will have access to school meals this year, the federal government says.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday that Ontario has signed onto its National School Food Program, becoming the third province to do so. Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Manitoba, are also members.
Ottawa is chipping in $108.5 million over three years to school food programs in the province; it said the funds will also help reduce costs for food transportation, storage and preparation equipment.
Two senior government officials told Global News earlier Friday that the investment means “close to a million Ontario kids” will have access to school food before summer break, representing almost 75 per cent of the province’s schools.
In a news release, Ottawa said it will result in 9.8 million more meals served to Ontario kids, including 130,000 more school meals served to kids in Indigenous communities across Ontario.
The government announced the program in April; with $1 billion earmarked for the program over five years, Ottawa said it will provide meals to 400,000 more kids every year, beyond those served by existing school food programs.
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Trudeau himself has touted the program as a “game changer.”
“The program will take pressure off of families, invest directly in the future of our kids, and make sure they’re able to reach their full potential – feeling healthy and happy,” he said in an April statement.
“This is about fairness and doing what’s right for our kids to get the best start in life.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford the welcomed news on Friday.
“I’ve been a big fan of it from day one,” he told reporters on Friday.
“We’re going to work hand in hand with the federal government to make sure the kids don’t go to school hungry.”
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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