Prime Minister Trudeau uses Brampton to announce $108 million Ontario food program

The federal and provincial governments have teamed up on a program to increase nutrition in Ontario schools.

Appearing along with students and staff at Aylesbury Public School, the prime minister said $108 million will be provided to deliver healthy meals to 160,000 more students in Ontario. The provincial program already delivers food to 600,00o students.

Under the agreement, 9.8 million meals a year will be served each year for the next three years.

“Right now in Ontario, we have reached a deal that will deliver healthy meals to 160,000 Ontario kids more over the coming year,” Trudeau said. “We know the impact, we can see it here at Aylesbury Public School, the impact that school foods have on kids and the entire community.”

Trudeau said he pulled from his own experience as a school teacher to remember how important for students to have a good meal and how it affects classroom performance.

“When kids don’t have full bellies, when they can’t hear the teacher because of the grumbling in their tummy, when they are worried and have low energy and not able to focus in class because they are hungry, we all suffer…not just them but the future they are building and the contributions we know they want to make to Canada.”

The two levels of government say the program will also save a typical two-child family $800 in grocery bills a year.

School food programs provide students with meals and snacks at school, often at no-to-low cost for participating families.

Rashmi Swarup, director of education of the Peel District School Board, said today’s announcement, combined with existing programs, go a long way in helping students gain access to healthy meal options.