Today while hosting a virtual press conference with Moisson Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced funding of up to $260,000 shared between nine organizations in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area. This includes up to $91,000 to Moisson Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean.
This funding was made available under the $200 million Emergency Food Security Fund and was distributed via three organizations, Food Banks Canada, Second Harvest and Breakfast Club of Canada. Over 2,300 meals were also provided to Moisson Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean through La Tablée des Chef as part of the fund.
The funds will be used to purchase food and other basic necessities, buy or rent equipment and materials, and hire help to cope with volunteer shortages. The funding will also be used to transport and distribute food, and access new distribution centres.
This announcement was part of Minister Bibeau's "virtual tour" of the Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean region, which also included a virtual visit at the greenhouse Serres Toundra, an announcement of $380,000 from the Emergency Processing Fund to four processors in the region, and a virtual roundtable with dairy producers in the region.
COVID-19 has presented significant challenges to communities across Canada, and particularly for Canadians facing food insecurity. It has highlighted the impact on local food organizations, the need to continue to support them, and the crucial services Canadians rely upon to be safe and healthy.
The Emergency Food Security Fund was first launched in April 2020 to help improve access to food for people experiencing food insecurity in Canada due to COVID-19. The funding has offered support to more than 1,800 individual projects in communities across Canada, which is estimated to have helped serve over two million Canadians with six million meals. On October 9, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced an additional $100 million to help ensure that communities and organizations can continue to respond to increased demands.
Quick facts
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Support was provided to: Moisson Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Maison Uashteu, Corporation de développement communautaire Maria-Chapdelaine, Moisson d'Alma, Centre des enfants, Centre populaire, Les jardins du coin Laterrière-Jonquière-Chicoutimi, Corporation des loisirs de Saint-François-de-Sales, Service d'intervention de proximité du Domaine-du-Roy.
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The first $100 million Emergency Fund for food security investment was divided as follows:
- $50 million to Food Banks Canada;
- $49.2 million divided between Community Food Centres Canada, Second Harvest, Salvation Army, and Breakfast Club of Canada; and
- $800,000 for La Tablée des Chefs to help prepare and distribute meals mainly across Quebec to vulnerable populations through food banks.
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On October 9th, the Government announced an additional $100 million to the Emergency Food Security Fund, aimed at helping communities and organizations as they continue to respond to the needs of Canadians facing food insecurity.
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The Government of Canada also launched the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, a $50 million, five-year program under the Food Policy for Canada, aimed at community-based, not-for-profit organizations. This funding supported projects such as the purchase of new refrigerated trucks, kitchen equipment, community gardens, equipment needed to prepare, store and distribute food, and the installation of solar panels and irrigation systems, among others.
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In addition, the Government launched the $50 million Surplus Food Rescue Program, which aims to move surplus food commodities through the food system as efficiently as possible to help vulnerable Canadians. Another $25 million has also been allocated to Nutrition North Canada to ensure food security for Canada's most vulnerable in northern areas.
