The Government of Yukon is expanding access to healthy food in the territory's schools. As announced on April 1, 2024, the Government of Canada is investing $1 billion over the next five years to create a new National School Food Program to help ensure that children in Canada have the food they need to learn, grow and reach their full potential.
In the Yukon, the funding will support a hot lunch pilot program, school kitchen improvements, the development of territory-wide Healthy Food Guidelines and continued support for school food programs outside the pilot.
The pilot program will launch in seven Whitehorse and rural Yukon schools. The pilot program will help gather data and address logistical challenges before possibly expanding further. Lessons learned through the pilot will guide future improvements to school food programs across the territory.
The hot lunch pilot will be delivered by the Yukon First Nations Education Directorate (YFNED) in participating schools, in partnership with the Government of Yukon.
Seven schools have been selected to participate in the hot lunch pilot:
- Tantalus Community School (Carmacks)
- Del Van Gorder School (Faro)
- Ghùch Tlâ Community School (Carcross)
- Johnson Elementary School (Watson Lake)
- Selkirk Elementary School (Whitehorse)
- Takhini Elementary School (Whitehorse)
- St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Secondary School (Whitehorse)
In addition to the pilot, dedicated funding will support enhanced food programming in francophone schools through the Commission scolaire francophone du Yukon, using a delivery model developed in partnership with the Department of Education.
Yukon Food for Learning Association will also receive an increase in the funding it currently receives to support school food programs across the Yukon.
This investment reflects the Government of Yukon's commitment to student wellbeing and to building a more consistent, equitable approach to school food for children across the territory.
"Nutritious food is vital for learning and for healthy communities. With the support of the Government of Canada, we are strengthening school food programs across the Yukon. These investments will make a real difference for families and will ensure more students have the healthy meals they need to succeed."
Minister of Education Scott Kent
"Through the National School Food Program, the Government of Canada is proud to partner with the Government of Yukon to enhance and expand school food programming across the territory. This investment will help provide children with access to healthy food at school to support learning, reduce costs for families, and strengthen partnerships with communities through culturally appropriate, relevant, and inclusive school food programs."
Secretary of State (Children and Youth), The Honourable Anna Gainey
"Yukon First Nation Education Directorate has always recognized the role of nutrition as a cornerstone in improving education results for the Yukon's Indigenous students - and is rooted in our belief that healthy school-based meals create the requirements for healthy development, while promoting school community, culture and belonging. This agreement allows us to expand those efforts and provide lunches to all students in select schools, giving more children access to nutritious lunches at a time where food insecurity and income disparities are making it more challenging for families."
Yukon First Nation Education Directorate, Executive Director, Melanie Bennett
"Our vision for many years has been a Yukon where every student has access to nutritious healthy food while at school. The addition of this new funding means we are much, much closer to achieving this vision."
Yukon Food for Learning Association, President, Barb Reid
- Canada is investing $7.36 million over three years (2024-27) to support Yukon school food programs through the National School Food Program
- The universal hot lunch pilot will reach about 850 students in seven schools across the Yukon.
- $100,000 in funding will support kitchen upgrades at Robert Service School in Dawson.
- Schools not participating in the pilot can apply to the Yukon Food for Learning Association for school food and kitchen equipment grants: https://www.yffla.ca/for-schools
