(Ottawa) A draft national school meal program has been tabled on the desk of the Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, and a few weeks before the tabling of the federal budget in the House of Commons, the promoters of the initiative hope that their proposal will get the green light.
In the context of high food prices, a former economic advisor to Mme Freeland and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is campaigning for the project, Tyler Meredith, say they are cautiously optimistic about the chances of it being funded in the budget.
The federal government consulted with provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous groups and other stakeholders to develop this framework over the past year. Prime Minister Trudeau had previously campaigned in this direction before his re-election in 2021, promising to invest $1 billion over five years in a program like this.
Community groups say the money is urgently needed as many families find themselves queuing at food banks.
Chrystia Freeland did not want to comment on the plan currently submitted to her. A spokesperson for the minister limited herself to saying that the budget expected on April 16 will focus on ways to make life affordable, the construction of housing and the creation of jobs.
Although education is not a federal jurisdiction, a national school lunch program would allow Ottawa to partner with provinces and territories, many of which are already doing the work alongside community groups. It would constitute a form of extension of the national daycare program proposed by the Government of Canada.
Providing school meals as a national program would allow Ottawa to use its purchasing power in a smart way that would help alleviate concerns associated with inflation, according to Tyler Meredith. “They are potentially able to buy food and distribute it, whereas individual families do not have the bargaining power to compete in the market when they go to fill their grocery baskets,” he said. He specifies.
Over the past year, British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia have allocated money for school meals, but organizations on the ground say a federal partner would help feed more young Canadians.
“We believe there is no other initiative the federal government could take that, given the money spent, would have as significant an impact in supporting food affordability and helping families as investing in a national school food program in Budget 2024,” according to Carolyn Webb, engagement coordinator at the Healthy School Food Coalition, the largest school food network in Canada.
Mme Webb adds that a national program would also help local growers and farmers and create more jobs for food service workers.