Manitoba NDP says nutrition program will help students most in need; PCs accuse government of 'false promise'

The Manitoba government is rolling out a nutrition program it says will expand offerings across all of the province'sschools, butcritics say it falls short of being "universal."

The NDP government is focusingits new nutrition program on the students who may otherwise go hungry, perhaps because they missedbreakfastor didn't bring a lunch, Premier Wab Kinew said during a conference at a Winnipeg elementary schoolThursday.

"We're talking about tens of thousands of kids here, but it's going to vary," said Kinew, as students sat cross-legged on the Donwood School library floor.

The program is being touted as "universally accessible," and no questions will be asked if a student shows up to access it, Kinew said.

"[If] the packed lunch getsleft on the counter one day, and the kid who otherwise is, you know, not participating in this program needs to participate in it along the way that's fine, too."

WATCH | NDP announces nutrition program:

Free nutrition program on the menu at Manitoba's schools

16 days ago

Duration 2:00

The NDP government is touting the rollout of its universal nutrition program across the province, but what's on the menu depends on the school each child attends.

The province is putting up $30 million annually to supplement the existing patchwork of healthymeal programs across the province, and create ones in schools that weren't already offering them, ensuring there's some kind of nutrition program in every school.

It'll be a mixture of breakfast, lunch and snack programs, or some combination of those.

Education Minister Nello Altomaresaid the most common program across the 690 public schools will be a free breakfast.

In some schools, the province's money will help torenovatekitchens and hiremore staff.

Responsibility to ensurekids are fed: Kinew

Kinewsaid the provincial government has a responsibility to ensure studentsare fed.

He said inDauphin, for example, volunteers had been preparing hundreds of meals each week.

"We're talking about the future of our province and we're leaving it to charity and to volunteers. What we're saying is that, 'no, that's the role of government,'" the premier said.

"This is why we come together as a society, to have a government, is to do things like build roads and hospitals and have an education system that makes sure that young people are prepared for the next generation."

The Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba was previously running meal programs in nearly 400schools. Operations manager Maxine Meadows said the charity's work in feeding close to 60,000 students a day won't be replaced by the province's support, but will be augmented.

In the past, Meadows said some schools, coping with minimal fundsamid rising food costs, had scaled back portion sizes or reduced the number of times they wereserving meals or snacks.

"Our hopes are that some of the challenges are going to be alleviated and that the schools will be able to offer a greater variety of nutritious foods," she said.

'Certainly not universal': PCs

The Progressive Conservatives, however, accused the NDP of falling short of the "universal school nutrition" program it pledged during last year's election campaign.

The Opposition party has long questioned how the NDP would provide a truly universalprogram for all students in all schools.

The program revealed Thursday is "certainly not universal, and so that was a false promise from this NDP government on the campaign trail," said Grant Jackson, the Tory education critic.

"Now that they're in government, of course, they've walked that back and they're starting to talk the language thatmaybe it should be just for families in need, which is what our Progressive Conservative position has been all along."

Jackson said he's hopeful the divisions will have enough money to feed the students who need help most.

River East Transcona School Division superintendentSandra Herbstsaid the more than $1 million earmarked for her division will make a difference.

"When you add that kindof money into a budget, you are going to be able topurchase more food for more students so there'smore access."

The early reviews from Donwood School students, who ate their lunches Thursday alongside NDP MLAs, were positive.

Carey McLaughlin, who finished off his sandwich before munching on his vegetables, said well-fed students can focus better on their work.

"We're not tired at all," he said."We're not closing our eyes."