Bill C-322

National Framework for a School Food Program Act

An Act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program

This enactment provides for the development of a national framework to establish a school food program to ensure that all children in Canada have access to healthy food.

Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 23rd report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in relation to Bill C-322, an act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program.

The committee has studied the bill and, pursuant to Standing Order 97.1(1), requests a 30-day extension to consider it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Good. Thank you. Nobody else is.

As it relates to Bill C-322, as you know, as chair I've always taken the prerogative to allow the promoter of the bill or motions to present in the House. Since the promoter of this bill is Mr. Cormier, who is not a standing member of the committee, I need the committee to consider, after we do clause-by-clause on Monday, is it the will of the committee that a 30-sitting-day extension be requested to the House to ensure that the report can be presented the week of June 3?

It's a routine proceeding that the committee would have to adopt to allow Mr. Cormier to table it when the committee dispenses of the bill.

Do I have agreement?

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

—that it's the way forward in regard to countering the whole argument against Bill C-322.

I heard the same arguments back in my time at the provincial government when we closed the coal plants. The Conservatives said that it would be disastrous. It was all about children from my perspective, because when we closed the coal plants and we mitigated pollution, we saw a 50% reduction in asthma cases in kids in the GTA.

We're talking about carbon pricing here. We're talking about putting in place a system that reduces pollution by penalizing those who pollute the most. We're putting in place mitigating penalties for those who pollute the most and reducing it by creating an incentive not to pollute. We're talking about children here in Bill C-322.

This is a proposed piece of legislation that I see as a game-changer for this country, and it's a shame that the Conservatives can think of carbon pricing only when it comes to a very simple framework that's being proposed by one of the members.

Mr. Mansfield, you ran 200 times around the school to raise awareness. That was 90 kilometres, I believe. How long did it take you?

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Definitely, I hear from a lot of my constituents, and actually from those who don't live in my riding, too, about just how much the carbon tax is affecting their day-to-day living.

I would note that our party, the Conservatives, has asked the government to remove the gas tax, excise tax and carbon tax from fuel, which would be about 35¢ a litre that Canadians would be able to save for the summer.

It does make a big impact.

On charitable donations, I know that when government—different levels of government; it doesn't matter what level it is—taxes the taxpayer, Canadians actually have less money to spend on themselves and their families for food, extracurricular activities for kids and transportation sometimes to and from work. They also have less time because they feel they have to work more to make their dollar go farther so that they can have more money because the taxman is taking so much. That takes away time that they would have not only with their families, but also time that they may donate to organizations in the communities, whether that's in the schools or with non-profit charitable organizations. That puts a strain on charitable organizations. The charitable organizations then feel they need to rely on government for funding.

I know that this particular piece of legislation that we're discussing today, Bill C-322, really is legislation that would feed the bureaucracy and not actually feed children.

This is another example, I think, of this government and its excessive spending, with zero result, or maybe a little result, but almost none. As has been said today, we know that inflationary spending is already costing Canadians who are having to stretch their dollars farther and farther.

You mentioned, Mr. Nabein, that your organization depends on donations from Canadians, whether that is dollars, time or both.

Have you seen any changes in the levels of donations that your organization has been receiving?

[Brent Mansfield, Elementary School Teacher, Co-Founder of LunchLAB and BC Chapter of Coalition for Healthy School Food, As an Individual]

Mr. Chair, in October, I ran 200 laps—over 92 kilometres—around my elementary school to raise awareness for the need for federal investment in school food, calling on the Government of Canada to invest the $200 million for five years they committed towards a national school food program. Then in November, five weeks later, I ran 200 laps, nearly 30 kilometres, around the lawn of Parliament to once again draw attention to the issue.

It is a real honour to be invited here today. I would like to express my strong support for Bill C-322, which is even more important now than it was when it was first tabled in March 2023 because of the federal government's recent investment of $1 billion over five years in budget 2024.

Bill C-322 would provide a necessary framework for how the federal government can work in partnership with the provinces, territories and indigenous communities to ensure the health and well-being of all Canadian children.

I urge you to support this bill for the sake of Canada's children as well as school communities and the local food economies that would benefit. I know that supporting school food is a non-partisan issue and one that everyone in a school, neighbourhood and community can get behind.

I am an elementary school teacher at a diverse urban elementary school on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples in what is now known as the west end of Vancouver.

As a teacher, I co-founded LunchLAB, an educational lunch program that empowers grades 6 and 7 students to work with the chef in residence to prepare foods for themselves and their peers. LunchLAB makes lunch an important part of the school day for learning, rather than seeing it as an interruption.

I see the power of school programs as a teacher, which gives me the conviction and drive to advocate for all students to be able to benefit. Every week, I see up close how a school food program supports all students to thrive and learn. LunchLAB demonstrates how school food programs can support students to learn food skills, develop food literacy and improve the quality of what they happily eat at school. School food programs are indeed a social equalizer. I can see this clearly when students from diverse backgrounds sit down and share a meal.

As a passionate school food advocate, I've worked closely with the Coalition for Healthy School Food, which includes nearly 450 member organizations and endorsers in every province and territory.

I had the opportunity to be part of the founding meetings of the coalition in Halifax in 2014. Several years later, I was part of the formation of the B.C. chapter of the coalition which, through years of collective advocacy, contributed to the B.C. government investing $214 million over three years in school food programs.

The coalition has been advocating for the development of a universal healthy school food program that is cost-shared with provinces and territories, following key guiding principles based on research and best practices to ensure that school food programs live up to their full potential. These guiding principles are what unites this vast network from coast to coast, which includes non-profit school food providers, national health education and indigenous organizations, school boards, cities, municipal health boards and many others. The guiding principles are outlined in the brief submitted by the Coalition for Healthy School Food, and I encourage you to review that.

We need a national framework that is visionary and reflects the broad guiding principles laid out by the coalition and those reflected in the “What We Heard” report from the national school food policy engagements.

I was pleased to see that Bill C-322 includes ensuring that programs are in line with Canada's food guide. The food guide says that healthy eating is more than the foods we eat, which includes focusing on mindful eating, enjoying food, cooking more often and sharing meals together. School food programs are an opportunity to foster a healthy food environment and promote mental health and well-being.

In terms of the rights and priorities of Canada's indigenous peoples, indigenous communities must play key roles in designing and implementing school food programs in their communities as well as other locations where first nations, Métis or Inuit children comprise a significant portion of the student population.

In terms of fostering local and sustainable food systems, encouraging school food programs to set local and sustainably produced food purchasing targets would create jobs for Canadian farmers and support community economic development.

As a teacher, I stress the importance of promoting food education to support new school food programs to be integrated into the curriculum and to enable food literacy and experiential food skills education. Programs aren't just for students but should be conceived, designed and run with meaningful input from students. School food programs provide many opportunities for student involvement in preparation, serving and clean up, all while developing food skills.

I also support a couple of key recommendations from the coalition on what could strengthen Bill C-322.

We need a commitment to ensure there is no marketing to kids. There need to be safeguards against marketing branded or highly processed foods and beverages to children through school food programs.

We need a commitment to Canada-wide program evaluation for consistent reporting. Collecting and sharing data would help measure progress and support program design and implementation.

Last, we need a commitment to a universal program for all children. Aiming at universality is critical so that, progressively, all children in Canada can have access to this program. This bill has recognized the importance of reducing stigma. Aiming towards a universal program does that. As a teacher, I can see the benefit for all students: the opportunity for students to learn and develop the food skills and food literacy they need to thrive in life, while eating delicious and healthy food at school.

I would like to, once again, stress my strong support for this bill. I encourage you to unanimously support it. I encourage you and all political parties in Parliament to vote to pass Bill C-322 as soon as possible.

Thank you.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Absolutely. They do know that they have a role to play, and they want government to get out of the way so they can do that and fulfill that role to feed Canadians.

I just want to be clear. Bill C-322 does not actually put any food in the bellies of children. What it does do is feed an already bloated bureaucracy. Your government is running the most expensive government in Canadian history, and it's Canadians, unfortunately, who are paying for it, Canadians who cannot afford it and are in such desperation for relief.

In the midst of this affordability crisis, when Canadians are struggling to feed themselves, why would you propose feeding the bureaucracy?

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First, I would like to apologize to my colleagues that I am not able to be with them in the meeting room today. I am dealing with a particularly difficult situation in my riding in connection with the fishery. I would have liked to be with you, but I decided to stay here with my constituents.

I have the honour of speaking before your committee today on the subject of my Bill C-322, An Act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program.

The objective of this bill is stated clearly in its title: to create a national framework to establish a school food program, to ensure that all children in Canada have access to healthy food. I sincerely believe that this is one of the most important pieces of legislation we will be debating during this parliamentary session.

Too many children in Canada go to bed on an empty stomach or start the school day without a nutritious breakfast that would enable them to concentrate on their schoolwork. Do you have an idea of what it is like to try to follow a lesson or do your schoolwork when you are wracked with hunger that prevents you from thinking about anything else?

Unfortunately, this is the sad reality for far too many children. Studies, including the health behaviour in school-aged children survey, have shown that up to one in five young people reports going to school or to bed hungry, often because there is not enough food at home.

The 2021 first nations food, nutrition and environment study by the Assembly of First Nations, the University of Ottawa and the Université de Montréal found that approximately 50% of first nations households have difficulty putting food on the table. Think of that number, 50%.

Those figures break my heart, but we have an opportunity to do something to remedy this situation: by creating a school food program.

Canada is one of the member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development that does not have a national school food program. We have the power to change that, the power to make sure that fewer children in Canada are hungry and that they have access to healthy food so they have more opportunities to succeed.

The number of children without access to nutritious food in some communities is very disturbing. In my home province of New Brunswick, there is great regional disparity in the number of school breakfast programs, which creates an unacceptable social inequity. Why should some schools have breakfast programs and not others?

We know that students who do not have access to nutritious food are at a significant disadvantage. School meal programs can improve attendance, promote better academic performance, improve health outcomes, and help students achieve their life goals and their full potential.

I want to congratulate all the dedicated volunteers, private sector donors and community organizations that are mobilizing for change. There are many people and organizations sponsoring or supporting school breakfast programs, not just in communities in New Brunswick, but throughout Canada. They cannot do it alone, however, because demand far exceeds supply.

A comprehensive national framework geared at a school food program would make a huge difference. This framework could be a road map for corporations to bring many stakeholders together in pursuit of this common objective. Although many provinces and territories are providing funding for school food programs, they lack the fiscal capacity to ensure that the program reaches every child in need.

We cannot have a program that does not benefit all schools. Every child who needs nutritious food must be able to access it in their school. Bill C-322 has to support the development of a framework that will provide a basis for the discussions to be held all across Canada, be it with provinces, territories, municipalities, first nations, Inuit and Métis, with parents, volunteers, charitable organizations, teachers, students and school administrators, or with experts in the field.

People from the agriculture and agri-food sector will also be involved in developing this framework. We can imagine a program that will not only fully achieve its goal in order to ensure that every child has access to healthy food, but also provide a creative master plan to support farmers and agricultural producers in working toward that goal.

In closing, Mr. Chair, we are not going to achieve the objective of a national school food program overnight. Nonetheless, we will all have mapped out the path to follow in order to get there. We all have an opportunity to make a real improvement in people's lives by adopting this bill and ensuring that every child in Canada has access to healthy food in all regions of the country.

Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members, and I am ready to answer your questions.

[The Chair (Mr. Robert Morrissey (Egmont, Lib.)), Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Good morning, everyone.

Welcome to meeting 114 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

I remind members, please, to avoid feedback from your microphone when you're not using it, keep it in the appropriate area so that the interpreters will not hear sound interruptions, which is harmful to them.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format. Members are appearing virtually as well as here in the committee room.

You have the option of choosing to speak in the official language of your choice. In the room, interpretation is available through the headset. If you're appearing virtually, please click on the globe icon at the bottom of your screen to choose the official language of your choice. If there is an interruption in translation services, please get my attention. We will suspend while it is being corrected.

I remind members to please always direct your questions or comments through me, the chair, and wait until I recognize you by name.

Today, as the committee is aware, pursuant to the order of reference of December 6, 2023, the committee is commencing its study of Bill C-322, an act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program.

I would like to welcome our first witness.

I welcome Mr. Cormier, member for Acadie—Bathurst.

Mr. Cormier, we will begin with your opening remarks. The floor is yours for five minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Also, in relation to Bill C-322, the deadline I'm suggesting for submitting amendments ahead of the clause-by-clause meeting scheduled on Thursday, May 30, could perhaps be at noon on Monday, May 27.

Are we in agreement that amendments be submitted for Bill C-322 on Monday, May 27, because we are doing clause-by-clause consideration on May 30?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Okay. I see no further discussion. Mrs. Gray's motion is clear. I have agreed that it is in order.

Madam Clerk, we'll go to a recorded vote on the motion of Mrs. Gray.

(Motion negatived: nays 7; yeas 4)

The motion has been defeated.

Committee members, there are just a couple of items. We received four applications, four submissions, for the Centennial Flame, so we will not be extending the timeline.

I need some direction. On Bill C-322, a private member's bill, I need a deadline for the witness list.

We agreed on one witness for each of the parties. What deadline does the committee wish? A suggested date, I believe, was Friday, May 10. Is Friday, May 10, okay for you to get your one name in to the clerk as a witness on Bill C-322?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Madame Zarrillo.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. We'll let you go from the committee. We are now beyond our time. It was 5:40 when we began.

Could I have agreement? We have a draft press release prepared to invite the public to submit briefs for the study on Bill C-322. It has been circulated. Do the members approve of the draft? It's not controversial. Do I see consensus to release that?

Madam Clerk, I'm sensing a consensus.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr. Minister and staff, for appearing in an abbreviated format, which spared you from speaking for five minutes.

The meeting is adjourned.

National Framework for a School Food Program Act

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C-322.

The House resumed from November 29 consideration of the motion that Bill C-322, An Act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

[Ben Carr, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise today and support Bill C-322, an act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program.

I want to thank my colleague, the member for Acadie—Bathurst, for introducing the bill.

I enjoyed a career as a teacher, a principal, a divisional principal and a coach. During that time, I had the opportunity to work with thousands of students, their families and educators from across Manitoba. I grew to understand the importance of being well fed and having nutritious options available during the school day, before it begins and when it ends.

Nutritious food and its availability is important for a number of reasons for a student: energy, concentration and attention span, sense of self, and a general positive outlook each and every day. As mentioned by my colleague across the way a moment ago, Canada is the only country in the G7 without a national standard or framework on nutrition programs in schools. I want to be very clear, before moving on to some other elements of my remarks this evening, that we understand provincial jurisdiction over the vast majority of education in Canada. This bill serves as a catalyst for all levels of government to work together for the well-being of young people across the country.

I understand that, as my hon. Bloc Québécois colleague said a few minutes ago, education is under provincial jurisdiction. At the same time, I think there are many examples of how collaboration among several levels of government can lead to positive policies in Canada. I think this bill is no different. This is an opportunity to work together.

I want to read some words that were shared with me by Alan Campbell, a fellow Manitoban, who serves as the current president of the Canadian School Boards Association. In my brief time in Parliament thus far, I have tried my best to include the remarks of folks who live where I come from, because I believe that it is my responsibility, and our responsibility here, to reflect their voices back to Canadians through this chamber and the roles we occupy.

Mr. Campbell had the following to say with respect to this bill, “Local school boards across the country are ready and willing to work with our provincial and federal governments on the creation of a national framework for a school food program. Recognizing that in many rural and urban communities across the country, existing school nutrition programs already function with direct support from local charitable organizations and school boards, there are already many highly successful models on which to build in order to rapidly create a framework for a universally accessible school food program in all schools across Canada.”

He went on to say, “In Manitoba, school boards point to the long-standing success of the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba...a charitable organization which for decades, has partnered with the Manitoba School Boards Association as well as the public and private sectors in delivery of strong and sustainable nutrition programs in many Manitoba schools. The newly elected [Premier of Manitoba] Wab Kinew [and his] government...[have] committed to working with school boards and the CNCM to expedite more food programs to more schools, and this partnership in Manitoba may well serve to [positively] inform the development of the national framework as sought out in...[this bill].”

I spoke just yesterday to Premier Kinew and informed him that I would be talking about this matter in the chamber today. He simply wanted me to reiterate that the values of the Government of Manitoba are aligned with the intentions of this bill. We will be proud to work with him and his government in an effort to see it pass and to deliver for children across the country.

I want to turn for a moment to the disproportionate impacts facing indigenous communities in Manitoba as they pertain to poverty. I note that a few of my colleagues here and my colleague from Winnipeg Centre would know the tragic nature of these statistics very well.

The graduation rate for first nations students in Manitoba has been as low as 50% in recent years. This can be compared to the rate of roughly 95% for non-indigenous students in the public system in Manitoba. Out of the 11,000 kids in Manitoba who live in the child welfare system, 90% of them are indigenous. Therefore, key to reconciliation, key to doing our part to deal with the tragic consequences that poverty brings to communities, and as I just mentioned, disproportionately to indigenous communities in Winnipeg and in Manitoba, is that we must look towards how we can deal with nutrition.

There are also many opportunities here, again key to reconciliation, to include indigenous values and perspectives as they relate to food, diet and health, and how those things are reflected in curriculum. There are ways for us to embed indigenous teachings and world views in the Healthy Food in Schools website, curricula and conversations.

I have grown to admire the work of a grassroots organization called Teach For Canada, which is doing wonderful work to develop and support education on reserve in Canada's northern communities. Here is what their executive director, Ken Sanderson, offered as commentary with respect to this bill. He said, “In championing Bill C-322 and the creation of a national school food program, it's crucial to recognize the ongoing inequities faced by First Nations. ‘Teach For Canada-Gakinaamaage,’ with its mission to address educational disparities in First Nations, underscores the interconnected nature of these challenges, emphasizing the need for a localized, community-driven approach to achieving student success in the classroom. To truly commit to ending child hunger, we must prioritize community consultation and tailor our efforts to create a well-rounded learning environment that addresses the linked needs of education and nourishment. This requires a nuanced approach that considers factors like food costs, insecurity, and the need for culturally sensitive, Indigenous-informed nutrition.”

My former employer, the Winnipeg School Division, where I got my start as a teacher some years ago, is the largest school division in the city of Winnipeg and, indeed, in the province of Manitoba. Many of its schools are located in my riding, and many of the staff who work in them reside there. The Winnipeg School Division continues to provide nutrition programs throughout its 79 schools, and in my riding, Gladstone School offers a robust breakfast program that ensures all learners are prepared to learn. The challenge is that most nutrition programs are supported by limited grants and the goodwill of charities. If we want to create a robust society, it is important to provide all learners, not only in the Winnipeg School Division but also all over Canada, with a targeted and sustainable source of nutritional food.

In my home province of Manitoba, the government funds the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba, which I referred to earlier, and it provides grants to schools. In 2021-22, these grants supported close to 34,000 children through 302 programs. As a principal, I used to apply for these grants on behalf of students, and they are wonderful. They provide an incredible amount of support that is desperately needed for young people; however, it is not enough. I watched the impact that these programs had on students in schools where I worked, schools where colleagues of mine worked and schools that my friends' kids went to, and it reinforced the importance of having at our disposal this type of support to make sure that kids have a positive experience in school.

In closing, I will reiterate the urgency of implementing a national school food program. I hope that we will be able to find bipartisan support in this chamber for this piece of legislation. I know that there are areas in which my colleagues and I may disagree, such as about the source of inflation and what is driving the cost of living and affordability in this country, but I do think that we can agree on the importance of ensuring that these programs exist.

When federal and provincial governments work together, great things can happen for Canada. We have seen this on deals ranging from child care to health transfers and efforts to combat climate change. I hope that Bill C-322 will afford us another opportunity to do just that.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Madam Speaker, they say that public education is the great social leveller, yet we know that kids cannot access the promise of education if they are hungry. Today, millions of kids across our country are going to school without food in their bellies. This is something we can change. The bill before us, Bill C-322, can be a part of a change toward the creation of a nationwide school food program that will provide healthy meals to kids going to school right across Canada.

There are many reasons why we should pursue a national school food program. I was looking at a study from The Rockefeller Foundation showing that in the United States, the $18.7-billion investment in school meal programs provides a return on investment of $40 billion. Perhaps for some people those kinds of numbers are motivating, but I think there is a much more profound reason we need to do this: Access to healthy food for kids is a human right. Kids deserve to access the promise of education with food in their bellies. Far too many, millions of kids across our country, are not able to do so.

That is why we in the NDP have long called for a national school food program. I want to particularly highlight the work of the member for Vancouver Kingsway, who tabled Bill C-212 in 2021 on a national school food program, and also our excellent critic, the member for Winnipeg Centre, who has been working tirelessly on this issue in her role as the critic for children, families and social development.

Canada is not doing well when it comes to the provision of school food. Right now, Canada is the only G7 country that lacks a national school food program. Among the OECD countries, we are one of only a few countries that lack such a program. A 2017 study by UNICEF ranked us 37th out of 41 countries. These are 41 of the richest countries in the world, and we are ranked 37th when it comes to the provision of school meals. This is something we need to do much better on.

Right now, the situation in Canada is a patchwork of programs that are held together by NGOs, volunteers, schools and private donors. They are working so hard to ensure that kids can have healthy meals at school, yet we know it is not meeting the need that exists in our country, despite their tireless efforts. That is why the federal government has a responsibility to come forward with a fully national school food program that meets the needs of kids.

I mentioned the situation in Canada. Every province and territory has some semblance of funding for school meal programs. Unfortunately, that funding is falling far short, between three cents and 94¢ per person, per meal. I think anyone in this House who has bought food recently can say this is not nearly enough to ensure that kids are getting nutritious food at school.

Right now, this is a particularly pertinent issue because we have seen the cost of food skyrocket. With the profits of the grocery giants going through the roof, more and more Canadians are struggling to put food on the table. School food programs, given the existing patchwork, are even having a hard time affording the food they need to provide the level of school meals they are currently providing, not to mention meeting the needs that exist across the country.

In my home province of British Columbia, we are very fortunate that the NDP provincial government just recently announced a historic program, Feeding Futures. This is a $214-million school food program over three years. It is the largest investment in a school meal program in Canadian history. It is making a difference right across our province, with school districts now able to increase existing programs and create new programs where none existed.

We need the federal government to come to the table as a partner. This bill in front of us, Bill C-322, can be a contribution in that direction.

I will mention that it has taken a long time to get to this point. Of course, the Liberal Party, in 2019, committed to investing in a school food program. It did not put a dollar value to it.

In 2021, we saw in the Liberal platform that the government would commit $1 billion over five years. That was two years ago. Just imagine all the kids across our country who could have been fed over the past two years if those dollars had flowed and that commitment had been made real with a budget commitment. We are hopeful that budget 2024 will include these necessary dollars so that the patchwork of programs across the country can get the funding needed to deliver more meals.

This vision for a national school food program needs to be universal. It should not be just for kids who are not getting adequate food at home. It should be for all kids so that we are not stigmatizing those who come from more disadvantaged backgrounds. We know that it needs to be cost-shared with the provinces, and it should be free or low-cost for the kids participating in the programs. It also needs to support indigenous food sovereignty and local food production. Those are the characteristics I hope would be reflected in a national school food program created under the terms of the bill before us. This could make our country stronger. When we do it, we will be better for it in so many different ways.

I had my eyes opened to the potential of school food programs two years ago when I visited Suwilaawks Community School in Terrace, in northwest B.C. I visited Suwilaawks with a number of people, including Sam from the Coalition for Healthy School Food, Margo from Farm to School and the principal of Suwilaawks. They showed me the school food program there, and it was tremendously impressive.

I got to go into the kitchen and watch little kids lined up to get homemade soup and fry bread, which had been made by a volunteer named Janis Sharyk Fowler, who has been volunteering at the school for 12 years, and one of the indigenous support workers at the school, Colleen Morgan. She is fondly known as Grammie Colleen to the kids. She got up at seven o'clock that morning to make over 200 pieces of fry bread. Seeing the joy on the children's faces when they came into the school to get this food really brought home the potential of these programs to give kids the nutritious food they deserve so they can learn in our schools.

I would be remiss if I did not also highlight the work of another tireless volunteer in the Terrace area, and that is Gurjeet Parhar. Gurjeet has been working on local food programs and food security for so long through the Kalum Community School Society. The Kalum Community School Society has been delivering a good food box and a food-share program in communities from Dease Lake and Telegraph Creek in northern B.C., all the way down to Bella Coola and over to Haida Gwaii. She has been a tireless proponent of school food programs. I want to thank her for her incredible work across the northwest.

This is an idea whose time has come. It is time for us to move quickly now. There have been far too many delays in getting a national school food program up and running. We need this billion-dollar commitment over five years to hit the ground and to match the funds that are being brought forward by provinces such as my home province of British Columbia. We can improve Canada's standing among peer nations. We can get nutritious, healthy school food to kids right across our country and make our country stronger as a result. We can uphold the human rights of these kids who are going to school hungry.

In a country as rich as ours, we should do no less. We should make every effort to ensure that our children and children in communities all across this nation have the school food they deserve and need to learn.