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"Student nutrition programs are community-based initiatives that provide meals or snacks to school-aged elementary and secondary students during the school day…While all students benefit from nutrition programs, they are particularly impactful for those who face inconsistent access to healthy food. In Toronto, child and family poverty has sharply increased, rising to 25.3%, up 8.5 percentage points since 2020, with some areas seeing rates as high as 40–60%. As these trends worsen, school food programs that include a morning meal and lunch can help ease financial strain by saving families $129 to $189 per child each month, or $1,290 to $1,890 annually, with potential annual savings of $2,580 to $3,780 for families with two children. According to the National School Food Program analysis, one school meal a day is expected to save the average participating family with two children as much as $800 a year, or $88 a month in grocery costs. They also offer broader benefits by supporting local economies, creating jobs, and promoting sustainable food systems amid ongoing global trade disruptions."

Buying local generally has environmental benefits. For instance, buying locally sourced and produced food can reduce "food miles" (the distance food travels from farm to plate), leading to lower transportation emissions and supporting more sustainable farming practices. Moreover, on February 5, 2025, City Council adopted several measures in response to potential 25% tariffs from the Trump Administration. The City Manager and relevant Divisions were instructed to create a "Buy Local, Buy Canadian" campaign to encourage residents, businesses, and city agencies to support locally made Canadian goods and services, helping protect jobs in Toronto and Ontario. Additionally, efforts to strengthen local procurement processes, as outlined in the "Sidewalks to Skylines" economic plan, were to be accelerated. The Federal Government was also urged to develop a standardized label for Canadian goods that clearly indicates the percentage of Canadian and foreign content. Finally, the motion was forwarded to all Ontario municipalities, encouraging them to join Toronto's campaign.

“City Council has committed to a phased-in approach to a universal school food program, including a universal mid-morning meal by the 2026 to 2027 school year and a universal school lunch program no later than 2030. This matter is urgent as action is needed from all orders of government, particularly as the 2025 to 2026 budgets are prepared at the Federal and Provincial levels.”

“The rising cost of groceries is putting pressure on families in our City. In Toronto, nearly one in three food bank clients are children and youth. The reality is, in our city with so much wealth, we have thousands of kids going to school every single day hungry. When you’re hungry, you can’t learn. We need our kids to be able to focus on their teacher, not their hunger. We know that student meal programs increase attendance, improve math, science and reading scores, reduce dropouts, and create healthier communities.”

“The rising cost of groceries is putting pressure on families in our City. In Toronto, 28% of food bank clients are children and youth. More children are going to school hungry.” While there are nutritious meal offerings funded by municipal and provincial funding streams, Canada does not have a national, universal student nutrition program.

“Community Environment Days are an important part of the City's waste reduction strategy. From 2014 to 2017, by going to their local Community Environment Day, Torontonians recycled and/or diverted from landfills” over 2 million kilograms of electronics, household hazardous waste, reusable household goods and arts and crafts supplies.