Federal budget to include funding for Canada-wide school food program

Ottawa has announced that the upcoming federal budget will include funding for a cross-country school food program, aiming to provide meals to 400,000 more kids per year across our nation.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement in Toronto on Monday, saying the feds plan to spend $1 billion over the next five years for the program.

Trudeau promised to launch this during his 2021 election campaign. New Democrats have been pushing the Liberal government to fulfill that promise ahead of the federal budget.

The government says they’re aiming to get started as early as the upcoming school year in September.

READ MORE: Ontario adds $5M in funding to Student Nutrition Program

Local MP Filomena Tassi also reiterated the importance of a school program like this on Monday at Chedoke Elementary School in Hamilton.

“Currently Canada is the only G7 country without a national school food program. We know that this is a gap, one that is felt more noticeably at a time of ever increasing grocery bills and inflation,” Tassi said.

“Today, in fact, nearly 1 in 4 children in Canada don’t get enough food. That impacts their health and their opportunities to learn and grow, and I saw that first hand in my work– 20 years as a high school chaplain.”

This investment will be part of the upcoming federal budget which is set to be released on April 16.