The province of Nova Scotia says it is looking for vendors ahead of an upcoming pre-primary and elementary school lunch program.
The program was previously announced as part of the 2024-25 budget in response to recommendations put forward by the Mass Casualty Commission.
The commission’s final report said all levels of government should fund well-being initiatives that “take into account rural and remote contexts.”
The program is set to begin in October and will reportedly feed nutritious meals to more than 75,000 students across 256 schools.
Francophone and English regional centres for education began issuing proposal requests on Monday for schools that need a third-party provider to prepare and serve the meals.
The province says vendors using local suppliers and businesses will be prioritized and the food program will operate in addition to those already in place in Nova Scotia schools.
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“The team has been working non-stop behind the scenes to make sure we understand and respond to the needs of each unique school and build a lunch program that makes a real difference for students and families,” said Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Becky Druhan, in a provincial news release.
Druhan previously said the program will be free for some families, while others will pay an affordable amount.
Both the provincial Liberal and NDP leaders said it should be completely free.
The provincial government committed $18.8 million for the first year of the lunch program in its 2024-25 budget.
With files from The Canadian Press
