Yukon signs $7.4M school food program agreement with Ottawa

Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jenna Sudds arrives to a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

WHITEHORSE — Yukon and the federal government have reached a $7.4-million agreement to improve school food for students in the territory.

The agreement will see the federal government invest the funding over the next three years through the National School Food Program to Yukon, where about 6,200 students currently use the system.

Federal Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jenna Sudds says in a statement that the funding will go toward upgrading kitchens, purchasing food and providing more nutritious meals to students.

Sudds says the improved school meals can ensure that “children can reach their potential because they are focused in the classroom.”

In a separate statement, Yukon Education Minister Jeanie McLean says the funding will “improve students’ physical and mental health, enhances their learning outcomes” and ultimately strengthen local food systems and boost the economy.

Earlier in the day, the federal government also reached a $16-million deal with Saskatchewan and a $42-million agreement with Alberta on enhancing school meals, with both deals also spreading the funding over three years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2025.

The Canadian Press