SD57 to improve its Food Provision Program

School District 57 held its first public meeting of the school year yesterday (Tuesday).

Its Food Infrastructure Program request was approved by the Ministry of Infrastructure, that would help create, improve, or expand infrastructure to feed students.

Superintendent Jameel Aziz said the program is commonly used in the School District.

“We have students at every single school who partake in breakfast and lunch every single day, some schools more so than others.”

“I know in the June meeting, some information was shared, and I believe it was in the neighbourhood of 600,000 or 700,000 meals that were served through the year to students in our School District.”

The program itself has also been growing year-over-year.

Included in the project requests were:

• Refrigerated vehicles to support the delivery of prepared meals from centralized kitchen
  facilities to schools.
• The purchase and installation of new or used kitchen equipment (e.g. refrigerators,
  freezers, dishwashers, stoves, ovens, etc.)
• Electrical, plumbing and ventilation upgrades to accommodate the installation of
  commercial kitchen equipment.
• Improvements to ensure kitchens meet local health authority requirements.
• Equipment and infrastructure to support traditional food gathering and preparation (e.g.
  fishing equipment, smokehouses, non-fur trapping equipment).
• Food storage (refrigerated or dry storage).

Aziz said this will allow them to provide more fresh food to students, helping them move away from prepared foods so students can get better overall health and nutrition.

In its submission summary, five schools were part of the request including Nusdeh Yoh Elementary, Quinson Elementary, McBride Secondary, Buckhorn Elementary, and Vanway Elementary.

The project covers the supply and install of appliances, ventilation and cabinets for kitchen, and Indigenous Cultural and Educational Material & Supplies Land Based Learning, totalling $102,000.

Costs would fall under the Province, though Aziz noted that any deficiencies would be addressed internally.

The public meeting also covered the first three readings to officially close Giscome Elementary School.