We began in 2006 in four of the most disadvantaged schools in Montreal—in Saint‑Henri, Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve and Saint‑Michel. We are now present in 300 of Quebec's public high schools. We are 50% funded by the Quebec department of agriculture, fisheries and food.
We need the same level of support in other Canadian provinces. We have still scaled up the program outside Quebec. We are now present in 75 high schools outside Quebec, [Technical difficulty—Editor] in both official languages. [Technical difficulty—Editor] and last weekend, at the Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec, the finals of the interscholastic culinary competition. Students from Winnipeg's Gordon Bell High School—who were able to come for the weekend thanks to our partnership with Air Canada—won the Canadian national finals of Kitchen Brigades for the second year in a row. It's one of the most disadvantaged schools in Canada. The two teachers who were there asked me if it would be possible for La Tablée des Chefs' food recovery program in Winnipeg to directly benefit parents. We were talking about over 400 parents.
Just imagine all the initiatives my colleagues have mentioned. Think of all the work done by the Salvation Army, Greener Village and all the organizations like that across the country. Despite all this work, despite everything being done by Second Harvest Canada and Canadian food banks, it's not enough. Canadians need to be told the truth. We have to stop burying our heads in the sand. If we don't have enough money, let's find creative solutions. Let's get to the drawing board.
However, the government must be with us when we are at the drawing board. We're not just there to receive a cheque or a grant. We need help, and we need levers to make a difference. This must be done transparently, so that Canadians get the full picture. The situation is worrisome. We are working our fingers to the bone. We all need to work together—the business community and the philanthropic community, which are doing their part, and all levels of government. We all have to work together, as the situation is quite worrisome right now.