Premier announces extended food donations

(Update)

Now that the power is back on, many people are re-stocking their fridges and freezers. And Monday the province announced it’s partnering with grocery stores to provide people with gift certificates to buy food. But what some people are furious about is that, so far, the offer is only being provided to affected people in Toronto.

About a half dozen scarborough residents answered the door to find Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne standing there with a basket of food. Most residents were thrilled.

Laura Terrett received a food basket: “Oh, fast fry beef strips, we can do a terriaki. It’s the beginning of the staples of what I had lost. It’s wonderful, it’s overwelming.”

Zehid Mirza and his family had no power for 7 days: “Very very nice for us. Approximately food minimum $300 and we spent on gas for generator 500 dollar.”

But Katie Hanson turned the basket away because she says other people need it more than she does. “It’s nice, I think it could’ve been faster.”

Premier Wynne announced that  Loblaw’s will give the province 25-thousand dollars worth of gift certificates to help people restock their fridges. Families in Toronto will get a one-hundred dollar gift certificate, and individuals a fifty dollar one: “So those who have had to throw away food and for those who are not able to replace, that’s important it’s for those who aren’t able to replace the food they’ve lost.”

Premier Wynne says this is the first time the province has partnered with the private sector to help people buy food to replace the food that spoiled during the power outage.

Since Loblaws made its offer, Metro, Sobey’s and Shoppers Drug Mart have also offered $25,000 in gift certificates. The province will match donations up to a total $100,000.

Flamborough resident Joseph Marczi says why just Toronto?: “That’s great but it should be spread all over Ontario.”

Premier Wynne said: “We have reached out to other municipalities, it was just that Toronto stepped up first.”

For now, only Toronto residents can pick up their gift certificates at Ontario Works offices. Hamilton’s Mayor has contacted Wynne to try to get Hamiltonians the gift cards too.

The donations are being made available through Ontario Works offices in Toronto