Prime Minister Trudeau increases funding for the P.E.I. school food program .

MOUNT STEWART, P.E.I. -
 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to a public school in eastern Prince Edward Island Friday where he announced $7.1 million in federal support over three years for the Island's school food program.

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The money is from Ottawa's $1-billion, five-year universal, national school food program that was promised during the 2021 election campaign and announced as part of the 2024 budget. P.E.I. is the fourth province to sign on to the program, joining Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba and Ontario This is about relieving parents of additional stress by ensuring that youngsters will have access to wholesome food at school when they need it," Trudeau added. A news release stated that if a family with two children on the Island participated in the program, their grocery expenses would be reduced by an average of $800 per year. In addition to assisting with the transportation and storage of food and the purchase of equipment for preparation, the financing is expected to increase the number of meals served by 438,000 during the current school year. The two streams of the P.E.I. program include a "pay-as-you-can" lunch program that began distributing meals in 2020 and a free breakfast and snack program that has been in place since 2008. About 23,000 students were serviced by the programs in the 2023–24 academic year pupils. In addition to the federal three-year donation, Premier Dennis King joined the prime minister at Mount Stewart to announce that his government will contribute an additional $15 million. According to King, the Island's initiative is on pace to offer one million meals in 2025, having already served 850,000 lunches in schools this year. "It's the most comprehensive program of its kind in Canada," he stated. "It's universal, it's provincial in scope and it's accessible." According to King, the show sources some of its food locally, supporting Island farms. "When our students are well fed they can participate in their studies ... and become the citizens we need them to be," he stated. With 75 schools and somewhat less than 22,000 students, P.E.I.

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