Federal government commits to creation of national school food program

The federal government says it will launch a nation‐ al school food program, hoping to deliver meals to an additional 400,000 chil‐ dren per year.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minis‐ ter Chrystia Freeland made the announcement during an event in Toronto on Monday, the latest in a series of public appearances by the prime minister and his cabinet min‐ isters ahead of the federal budget planned for April 16.

"We all want kids to have the best start in life, including the most vulnerable," Trudeau said during the event.

"When a kid walks up be‐ fore class and says 'I'm hun‐ gry,' it means we all have more work to do as a school community and as a coun‐ try."

The federal government will spend $1 billion over five years to implement the pro‐ gram. That figure mirrors a 2021 campaign promise made by the governing Liber‐ als.

Freeland said the govern‐ ment hoped to have the pro‐ gram in place for the 20242025 school year.

Canada is the only G7 country that does not have a national school food pro‐ gram, according to the Break‐ fast Club of Canada. Advo‐ cates have argued that a na‐ tional program is needed to fill gaps left by a patchwork of provincial, local and chari‐ table programs that are un‐ der strain due to low re‐ sources and high food prices.

"Canadian families are struggling. With inflation pushing food prices to stratospheric levels, we know that a national school food program would help children and youth access nutritious food, which would then sup‐ port their mental health, be‐ haviour and study habits," Debbie Field, co-ordinator of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, said in a Feb. 27 media statement.

The school food program is not one of the policy provi‐ sions set out under the Liber‐ al-NDP supply-and-confi‐ dence deal, which has seen the New Democrats support the government in key votes for two years. But the NDP recently called for the federal government to implement a program.

WATCH | Trudeau promises national school food program:

"Parents are doing every‐ thing they can to take care of their kids, but the cost of food just keeps going up," NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a media statement last month. "In a country as rich as ours, no child should ever have to go to school hungry."

In a post on social media on Monday, Singh referred to the program as a "demand" of his party.

Provinces have jurisdic‐ tion over education in Cana‐ da. Trudeau said Monday the government would work with provinces, territories and In‐ digenous partners on imple‐ menting the program, includ‐ ing through augmentations to existing policies.

Trudeau defended a se‐ ries of measures to which the government committed sig‐ nificant monetary resources such as pharmacare, dental care and child care programs - even as it commits to fiscal responsibility in the upcom‐ ing budget.

Last December, Conserva‐ tives voted against a private member's bill that would have established a national framework for a school food program.

During an event in B.C. on Monday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said food in‐ security for children was a "major failure" for Trudeau.

"I find it ironic that he's promising a federal food bu‐ reaucracy in Ottawa the same day as he raises taxes on food," Poilievre said, refer‐ ring to the April 1 increase in the carbon tax from $65 per

tonne to $80.

Poilievre has harshly criti‐ cized the Liberal government for its handling of the economy and of affordability issues, frequently noting the rise in food bank usage across the country.

In a statement Monday, Bloc Québécois MP Sylvie Bérubé welcomed the food program announcement and said funding should be quick‐ ly transferred provinces.

Are you having a hard time keeping up with the cost of living? What issues would to the you want to see addressed in the next federal budget? Let us know in an email to ask@cbc.ca.