March 6, 2025 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Employment and Social Development Canada
No kid should go to school hungry. And in the Northwest Territories, where food prices are among the highest in the country, getting kids a full breakfast before they head out the door or packing school lunches is not always an easy task. That's why school food programs are so important. They provide healthy meals to kids throughout the school year. They also save working families hundreds of dollars in grocery bills.
Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, alongside the Honourable Caitlin Cleveland, the Northwest Territories' Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, announced an agreement between Canada and the Northwest Territories under the National School Food Program.
As part of this agreement, the Government of Canada will invest $7.4 million over the next three years to enhance and expand the Territory's existing Healthy Food for Learning program, providing enhanced programming to 8,615 kids across all 49 schools in the territory this year. Federal investments will be put toward purchasing new kitchen equipment and upgrading kitchens, hiring new staff dedicated to school food programming and coordination, increasing availability of traditional foods, and improving the nutritional value of meal options. Schools in the territories have taken a collaborative approach to building and addressing their school food programs needs by working together with local business partners, elders, educators and students.
The National School Food Program is a safety net for the kids who need this support the most. Students across the territory, including Indigenous students, face very particular challenges and high food insecurity. This program will help level the playing field and give every child the chance to reach their full potential.
Building a National School Food Program that works for families is part of the federal government's commitment to help make life more affordable for families across the country. The Government of Canada is creating more middle-class jobs, building more homes, expanding affordable dental care and creating more affordable child care spots-so they can buy the things they need and save for the things they want.
