The federal government is launching its National School Food Program in the Northwest Territories and extending funding for cheaper childcare in the territory.
In separate announcements on Thursday, Ottawa said it was rolling out $80 million over five years for NWT childcare and just under $7.5 million over three years to expand school food programs.
The childcare funding is designed to extend the existing federally backed program that has been working toward $10-a-day childcare across the North – not an easy target given the lack of infrastructure and difficulty finding staff in larger communities, let alone small ones.
Ottawa said the cash, which is part of a much broader nationwide rollout, will ensure families “continue to have access to regulated childcare for an average of $10 a day.” In practice, in the NWT, at least a portion is likely to be spent helping more people in more communities toward that goal.
Criticisms of the program’s first few years have included a concern that not enough money exists to meaningfully expand access by building infrastructure in smaller NWT communities, even if costs have come down for parents who can take advantage of the program in larger centres.
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Jenna Sudds, the federal minister of families, children and social development, said the new agreement increases funding to account for “inflationary impacts” and comes with a commitment to “collaborate to find ways to improve and to grow the number of spots within the territory.”
“Those discussions are ongoing, that work will continue, but our government is certainly committed to doing so alongside the Territories,” Sudds said.
Healthy food program expands
The school food announcement offers $7.4 million – distributed at the territorial government’s discretion – to “enhance or increase the amount and the types of foods that are offered at every single school across the territories,” Sudds said.
The money will pay for staff dedicated to school food programming, increasing the availability of traditional foods, and improving the nutritional value of meals offered to kids.
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The cash will also cover investments in the likes of kitchen equipment or renovations to ensure schools have access to the right facilities.
The availability of facilities varies widely across the territory and even within Yellowknife schools, which in turn affects the kinds of meal program that can be offered and the quality of food provided.
“Not every school has access to the kitchen facilities and equipment they need, so it also will provide funding to support those needs – which is obviously a great investment today, but one that will pay off for years to come,” Sudds told Cabin Radio.
The GNWT had announced in October that an expansion of its existing school food programs was on the horizon. Similar deals have been struck between Ottawa and various other jurisdictions.
The territory already has a program, Healthy Food for Learning, that this funding will bolster. That program involves $650,000 in annual funding, whereas the federal funding for the three years ahead amounts to about $2.5 million a year.
“I look forward to seeing how each of our 49 schools tailors this program to best support their students and communities,” NWT education minister Caitlin Cleveland was quoted as saying.
Thursday’s news came amid a flurry of recent federal spending announcements in the North. With the Liberal minority government about to announce a new leader to replace Justin Trudeau, a federal election is likely to be called in the not-too-distant future.
The Conservatives, who have in the past expressed skepticism about the ability of Liberal programs like $10-a-day childcare to deliver the intended results, have been approached for comment.
