Manitoba offers money as step to full school nutrition program

The Manitoba government is planning to take a step in the coming weeks toward its plan for a universal school meal program.

Premier Wab Kinew says the government is putting up $1.5 million to eliminate a waitlist at the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba for the remainder of the current school year.

The non-profit council grants money for meal and snack programs in schools that apply for help, and there were 51 programs on a wait list as of earlier this year.

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One of Kinew’s promises before being elected in October was a universal school nutrition program that would cost the province an estimated $30 million a year.

The education and early childhood learning department says the universal program is still in the early stages of development and there is no proposed cost right now.

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Kinew says the universal program will be in place by the next school year in September, as promised.

“The idea is to have a universally accessible meal program,” Kinew said in a year-end interview.

“Not that every kid in Manitoba needs to eat as part of the school program, but that it has a reach across all the school divisions and regions of the province.”