Saint-Félicien, Quebec – 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.
Source : Government of Canada