Throughout September and October members of the Coalition for Healthy School Food visited federal pre-budget hearings across Canada to advocate for a federal investment in a National School Food Program. Specifically, Coalition representatives asked the government to invest $360 million in their next budget to join provinces, territories, municipalities, community groups, parents and others in funding a cost-shared program estimated at $1.8 billion. This investment would go towards establishing new programs and strengthen existing ones.
Members made their point clear - that a national, universal, healthy school food program would:
Increase children’s consumption of healthy foods;
Reduce their risk of chronic diseases;
Improve mental health;
Improve educational outcomes; and
Increase graduation rates.
Members also shared that these programs have the potential to create jobs and to grow local economies by investing in local agriculture and food businesses.
For more information about the Coalition's ask to the federal government, please reference our Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2019 Budget.
Thanks to all of our members who made it out to the pre-budget hearings to communicate our message!
September 26 (Ottawa, Ontario) -- Carolyn Webb, Sustain Ontario
October 1 (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) -- Karen Clare, PEI Home and School Federation
October 2 (Saint John, New Brunswick) -- Mary McKenna, Academic Partner
October 4 (Oshawa, Ontario) -- Kristy Taylor, Show Kids You Care
October 5 (Toronto, Ontario) -- Matthew Lahey & Afraa Mustafa, summerlunch+
October 16 (Victoria, British Columbia) -- Janelle Hatch
October 17 (Edmonton, Alberta) -- Susan Roberts, Alberta Food Matters
October 18 (Winnipeg, Manitoba) -- Maxine Meadows, Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba
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