National School Food Program – 2025 to 2027 Action Plan – Nunavut
Note: This action plan has been re-formatted to meet accessibility requirements of Government of Canada webpages.
On this page
- List of abbreviations
- Section 1 - Introduction/Overview
- Section 2 - Implementation plan
- Section 3 - Indicators, targets and expected results
- Section 4 - Expenditures
- Section 5 - Indigenous collaboration
- Section 6 - Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs)
- Section 7 - Reporting
- Appendix A: Common Reporting Indicators Table
List of Abbreviations
- CA
- contribution agreement
- CSFN
- Commisssion scolaire francophone du Nunavut
- DEA
- District Education Authorities
- NTI
- Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
- OLMCs
- Official Language Minority Communities
- RSO
- Regional School Operations
Section 1 - Introduction/overview
Nunavut has 45 schools across the territory, which all report having a school meal program in place. However, some schools offer breakfast and snacks, while others include lunches.
These programs vary greatly depending on the school, with some schools offering only a cold breakfast and snacks, and others offering a hot lunch every day.
Local District Education Authorities (DEA) are locally elected bodies made up of community members and are responsible for overseeing important decisions concerning the delivery of education and programs in schools. The DEA works with the school staff and Regional School Operations (RSO) staff. Together, these bodies serve many of the functions of a school board and are responsible for the administration of locally developed school programs. The DEA is responsible for the delivery of school food programs, and access various financial supports to run these programs.
There are currently no designated School Food Coordinator or divisional oversight positions at the territorial government level to support schools with their food programs and school food programs' capacity to run greatly relies on the kitchen space available, volunteers and funding provided.
There are currently no meal requirements or healthy food standards but there are guidelines available for all schools on what should be served. Since school-based programs are volunteer run, there is no official daily count of the number of students who have accessed food from the program. When food is available, it is available to every student who wishes to access it. Many kitchens in Nunavut's schools do not have the infrastructure capacity, equipment, or space required to provide hot meals for students, and many do not have the storage space required for a robust school food program. Small capital projects to address school kitchens may take anywhere from six months to two years to complete, and new school builds or major renovations can take up to eight years. In many schools, adding even small appliances to a kitchen space can cause electrical, or other structural and maintenance issues.
Hiring a School Food Coordinator and contracting a Nutritionist and Capital Projects Specialist to address these gaps and support the development of a robust school food program in the territory is a critical first step to enhancing the current universal school food programs. Efforts were made in fiscal year 2024 to 2025 to hire and contract for these positions. However, with the limited time available in the fiscal year and challenges of hiring in Nunavut, these positions have not yet been filled and 100% of Year 1 funding was carried forward into Year 2.
Indigenous Services Canada flows funding through the Nunavut Wellness Agreement for health priorities in Nunavut, including the development of Community Wellness Plans, which are used to support school food programming and other health priorities in the territory. Nunavut's Department of Health's total annual investment in school food programming from all sources in fiscal year 2023 to 2024 (before National School Food Program investments) was $1,726,646.24. Nunavut's projected/committed funding for school food from all sources exclusive of funding to be received through the National School Food Program is $1,846,646.24 for fiscal year 2024 to 2025, $1,846,646.24 for fiscal year 2025 to 2026, and $1,846,646.24 for fiscal year 2026 to 2027.
Priority areas for investment
To address current gaps and challenges, including the need to upgrade kitchen facilities, the lack of school food policy guidelines, the need for a School Food Coordinator and additional staff to support schools with their school food programs, the priority areas for investment in fiscal year 2025 to 2026 include:
- contracting a Capital Projects Specialist to complete a kitchen assessment and identify possible renovations and/or small kitchen upgrades where possible
- hiring a Nutritionist to develop a Nunavut School Food Policy
- hiring a School Food Coordinator to lead the development of a robust school food program as well as other positions to support programming
- funding to District Education Authorities (DEAs) to improve quality, quantity, or delivery of current school food programming, including increased provision of country food
- new reporting requirements to support data analysis and establishment of baselines
Building on the efforts made to advance programming in 2025 to 2026, the priority areas for investment in fiscal year 2026 to 2027 include:
- advancing the work of the School Food Program Coordinator
- finalizing the Nunavut School Food Policy and rolling it out to all schools
- beginning kitchen renovations and small kitchen upgrades where possible
- providing specialized training for volunteers and hired staff who lead school food programs
- continuing to fund to District Education Authorities (DEAs) to improve quality, quantity, or delivery of current school food programming, including increased provision of country food
- continuing reporting requirements to support data analysis and establishment of baselines
Additional details of these activities are provided in Section 2.
Section 2 - Implementation plan
Planned activities for 2025 to 2026
As 100% of Year 1 funding was carried over, the planned activities for 2025 to 2026 include those outlined in the Year 1 Action Plan. Specifically, the planned activities for 2025 to 2026 include the following activities.
- School food program delivery, including increasing access to country food and improving quality, quantity, and delivery of programming for schools through contribution agreements to District Education Authorities (DEAs). Contribution Agreements will allow for:
- food shipping, purchasing and storage costs
- purchase of cooking equipment costs, not including appliances or capital renovations
- acquisition of country food, including costs associated with hunting and preparation
- wages for school food staff members to work within the schools
The contribution agreement will include enhanced reporting requirements at the school level to monitor and evaluate school food programs at every school.
Schools will receive this funding from the Department of Education, outside of what they receive through the current Nunavut Wellness Agreement with the Department of Health. Providing enhanced funding directly to schools through the local DEAs will increase students’ access to daily food programs without stigma or barriers.
Schools will be encouraged to provide locally sourced country food as part of their school food program, including educational opportunities for harvesting and serving country food.
- Capital projects, including putting in place a contract with a Capital Projects Specialist for management of a kitchen assessment and report, and beginning the process of preparation of renovating kitchens within identified schools that are identified as the first to be upgraded. Additional responsibilities of the Capital Projects Specialist will include:
- oversee the review of current school kitchen infrastructure across the territory
- coordinate logistics of on-site school kitchen assessment, including travel
- identify areas where capital and infrastructure improvements and renovations can be made to support enhanced school food programming
- work with schools and the Department of Education to prioritize potential projects to ensure the funding can have the greatest impact
- support collaboration between the Departments of Education, Transportation and Infrastructure Nunavut, and Health to coordinate potential school kitchen capital projects
In 2025 to 2026, the Departments of Education and Health will work with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Nunavut to review the current capacity and state of all school kitchen facilities, including the upgrades required to support more robust school food programming. The aim would be to complete such an assessment by the end of 2025 to 2026.
By upgrading school kitchen facilities, more schools will be able to provide year-round food programs through increased meal preparation space, storage for food, and cooking equipment. It is expected that more schools will be able to provide hot meals through improvements to their school kitchens.
- Hiring a nutritionist to begin the development of a Nunavut School Food Policy. Additional responsibilities of the Nutritionist position will include:
- creating guidelines on school food menu and guidance on healthy choices that align with the National School Food Policy
- working with school food programs to increase the nutritional value of their meals
- supporting the School Food Coordinator with menu planning for schools
- providing training advice and opportunities for school food program staff
- supporting the assessment of all school kitchens, providing guidance to determine what is required under the Public Health Act, and other legislation
By creating Nunavut's first School Food Policy and Guidelines, we will ensure the food served follows Canada's Food Guide and supports healthy development and growth of our students.
- Online training on food safety handling for all members involved in working in school kitchens.
- Hiring of a School Food Program Coordinator and various positions who will support the development of the school food programs. Responsibilities of the School Food Program Coordinator will include:
- creating reporting templates and providing support to schools to ensure reporting requirements are met
- providing direct support to school staff working directly with school food programming
- financial and narrative support for DEAs
- assessing all current school food programs to develop a baseline for each individual school including assessment of third-party funders, other financial support and the oversight of school food programs
- creating methods for schools to determine the number of students accessing food through the school food program including types of school food programs (such as breakfast, lunch, snacks, as well as the nutritional value and guidelines used to provide school food programs)
- working with the nutritionist to develop school menu options that meet nutritional standards that may be used in schools
- providing or organizing training opportunities for individuals administering food programs in schools
- working with the nutritionist to create a school food program policy and/or guidelines
- identifying potential areas of coordination of school food programming across the territory for efficiency and potential cost savings
The School Food Coordinator and Nutritionist, along with the contracted role of Capital Projects Specialist will be responsible for spearheading the roll-out of funding. Given the current limited capacity at both the Departments of Education and Health, if these new roles are not created, implementation of the National School Food Program funding may be limited.
The School Food Program staff members will be supported by various individuals and divisions within the Departments of Education and Health, in alignment with the Action Plan. Divisions within the Department of Education include Corporate Services, Policy and Planning, Regional School Operations, and Human Resources. Over time, a variety of Department of Health staff members will become involved as the school food program evolves.
Planned activities for 2026 to 2027
The planned activities for 2026 to 2027 build on the planned activities 2025 to 2026, and include the following activities.
- Continuing school food program delivery, including increasing access to country food and improving quality, quantity, and delivery of programming for schools through contribution agreements to District Education Authorities (DEAs). Contribution Agreements will allow for:
- food shipping, purchasing and storage costs
- purchase of cooking equipment costs, not including appliances or capital renovations
- acquisition of country food, including costs associated with hunting and preparation
- wages for school food staff members to work within the schools
As in 2025 to 2026, schools will receive this funding from the Department of Education, outside of what they receive through the current Nunavut Wellness Agreement with the Department of Health.
- Beginning the process of renovating kitchens within identified schools.
- work with schools and the Department of Education to prioritize potential projects to ensure the funding can have the greatest impact
- support collaboration between the Departments of Education, Transportation and Infrastructure Nunavut, and Health to coordinate initial school kitchen renovations
- continue to support schools with minor capital and equipment upgrades where possible
- Continuing employment of a Nutritionist (responsibilities outlined above) and finalization of the development of a Nunavut School Food Policy as well as beginning the roll out of the Policy to all schools.
- Continuing online training on food safety handling for all members working in school kitchens and introduction of face-to-face training to enhance the nutritional value of meals being delivered in schools.
- Continuing employment of a School Food Program Coordinator (responsibilities outlined above) and various positions who may be required to support the development of the school food programs.
National School Food Program funding will allow for the enhancement of school food programming offered to over 11,000 students in all 25 communities in Nunavut. This funding will also contribute to increased availability of country food and a variety of nutritional food options. The funding will also allow the Government of Nunavut to create new positions that can support schools and communities as they work to enhance their programming, and address food insecurity in our youngest population.
The Government of Nunavut is excited to begin the development and delivery of a school food program. With the signing of the National School Food Program funding, the Departments of Education and Health can begin the work to create a Nunavut-wide school food program to ensure all students across Nunavut have access to nutritional food. Our goal is to ensure that all students have access to nutritious food daily including a variety of opportunities to have country food served as much as possible.
Developing a standardized approach to providing students nutritious food across Nunavut must be flexible to meet the different capacities of our schools and communities. One of the first initiatives will be to support all schools with accessing country food to serve to students. Country food can be difficult to source for some schools, but initiatives will be taken to address barriers and support access to country food.
It is Nunavut's vision to create a sustainable program that benefits students now and for many years to come through initiatives such as developing policies and guidelines, improving kitchens, increasing storage and allowing better access to nutritious foods.
Building a robust program will be captured through enhanced reporting requirements to capture the unique needs and activities of each school while they support student access to food daily. Capturing intricate data will allow Nunavut to develop a robust program that will continue to foster healthy habits for students and improve attendance and learning outcomes.
Section 3 - Indicators, targets and expected results
Year 1 (2024 to 2025) baseline
In the Year 1 Action Plan, some of the Year 1 (2024 to 2025) baseline indicators were marked as to be determined (TBD) until a full-time School Food Coordinator is hired and can assess existing programs. These included:
- types of school food programs: breakfast, lunch, snacks: To be determined* (TBD)
- number of students participating in some type of school food program: TBD*
- number of children participating in school food programming both overall and by program type: TBD*
- infrastructure supporting school food programming: TBD*
As the School Food Coordinator was not yet in place, these baselines remained TBD for Year 1. When the School Food Coordinator is hired in fiscal year 2025 to 2026, the establishment of these baselines will be prioritized. Additional baseline indicators (for example, number of days programs are being offered, types of foods being offered) may also be identified at that time.
Year 2 and 3 indicators
Nunavut commits to reporting annually to Canada, no later than October 1 of each year, on common indicators as outlined below, along with targets to be reached by June 2026 and by June 2027. Complete common indicators table in Appendix A to be appended to annual reports as an annex. Nunavut reporting on these indicators contributes to Canada's public reporting to Canadians.
Nunavut commits to reporting annually to Canada, no later than October 1 of each year, on common indicators as outlined below, along with targets to be reached by June 2026 and by June 2027. Complete common indicators table in Appendix A to be appended to annual reports as an annex. Nunavut reporting on these indicators contributes to Canada's public reporting to Canadians.
Baseline indicators are marked TBD* at this time with expectation that in Year 2 baseline will be collected and reported by June 2026. Baseline indicators list may expand over time as school food programs evolve. New indicators may include additional information on programs that support diverse dietary needs.
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Indicator | Baseline (for the previous school year/prior to federal funding) | Targets (to reach by end of June each school year) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of P/T operated schools within P/T | 45 | 45 |
| Number of school aged children attending P/T operated schools | 11,327 | 11,327 |
| Number of P/T-operated schools offering school food programming* | 45 | 45 |
| Number of meals served by school through school food programs* | TBD | TBD |
| Number of P/T-operated schools offering i) breakfast program; ii) lunch program; iii) snack program; iv) "other" school food program* | TBD | TBD |
| Number of P/T-operated schools offering school food programs that accommodate diverse dietary needs (such as allergy-safe, gluten free, lactose-free, halal, kosher, vegetarian, etc.) | TBD | TBD |
| Number of school-aged children who participate in school food programming in P/T schools by type of program offered: i) breakfast program; ii) lunch program; iii) snack program; iv) "other" school food program | TBD | TBD |
| Number of P/T operated schools that offer school food programming that is universal* | 45 | 45 |
| Number of P/T operated schools that are offering new and/or enhanced school food programming (such as programming was not offered the prior school year)* | TBD | TBD |
| Number of school-aged children participating in P/T operated schools offering new and/or enhanced school food programming | TBD | TBD |
| Number of staff trained in food safety handling | TBD | TBD |
| Number of schools receiving kitchen upgrades or improvements | TBD | TBD |
| Number of school food program employees (coordinator, nutritionist etc.) within the Department of Education hired to support the National School Food Program | 0 | 2 |
- * Name of schools and their postal codes to be provided.
Section 4 – Expenditures
Fiscal year 2025 to 2026 (Tables 2 to 2.4)
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Initiative | Funding Allocation |
|---|---|
|
$500,000 $718,000 |
Year 1 Carry over will be allocated to support:
|
$1,412,749 |
| Total year 1 and 2 | $2,630,749 |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Initiative | Funding Allocation |
|---|---|
|
$800,000 |
Year 1 Carry over will be allocated to support:
|
$500,000 |
| Total Year 1 and 2 | $1,300,000 |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Initiative | Funding Allocation |
|---|---|
|
$50,000 |
Year 1 Carry over will be allocated to support:
|
$150,000 |
| Total Year 1 and 2 | $200,000 |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Initiative | Funding Allocation |
|---|---|
|
$300,000 |
| Total Year 1 and 2 | $300,000 |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Initiative | Funding Allocation |
|---|---|
|
$263,141 |
Year 1 Carry over will be allocated to support:
|
$229,194 |
| Total Year 1 and 2 | $492,335 |
The grand total for Year 2 is $4,923,084
Fiscal year 2026 to 2027 (Tables 3 to 3.4)
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Initiative | Funding Allocation |
|---|---|
|
$500,000 $1,117,875 |
| Total Year 3 (Carry over TBD*) | $1,617,875 |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Initiative | Funding Allocation |
|---|---|
|
$ 450,000 |
| Total Year 3 (Carry over TBD*) | $ 450,000 |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Initiative | Funding Allocation |
|---|---|
|
$50,000 |
| Total Year 3 (Carry over TBD*) | $50,000 |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Initiative | Funding Allocation |
|---|---|
|
$250,000 |
| Total Year 3 (Carry over TBD*) | $250,000 |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Initiative | Funding Allocation |
|---|---|
|
$263,266 |
| Total Year 3 (Carry over TBD*) | $263,266 |
The grand total for Year 3 (before carrying over of any Year 2 funding) is $2,631,141.
* Nunavut may carry forward up to 80% of fiscal year 2025 to 2026 funding but this is to be determined at a later date. Year 3 funding cannot be carried forward.
Section 5 - Indigenous collaboration
The Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) have jointly committed to working together to improve the economic, health, social and cultural wellbeing of Nunavut Inuit. Under Article 32 of the Nunavut Agreement, the Government of Nunavut is obligated to provide Inuit with an opportunity to participate in the development of social and cultural policies, programs and services. The Government of Nunavut reaffirms its commitment by consistently collaborating with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated in all initiatives that contribute to the improvement of the territory.
Recognizing the importance of school food programs, the Government of Nunavut’s Departments of Education, Health and Family Services created a working group to address the need for a robust school food program. At the beginning of its development, in accordance with Article 32 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, which outlines the government’s obligation to collaborate with NTI, it was essential to include NTI on the working group from the outset. The Government welcomes NTI as an active partner in our endeavors to develop and enhance a robust school food program.
Harvesting of Nunavut's wildlife is an important part of its culture and traditional diet. The Departments of Education and Health support and encourage the delivery and distribution of country food in Nunavut's schools. School food programs welcome the opportunity to provide country food to the students when possible. Some schools, through school land-based programs and classes, can harvest country food for teaching and nutrition purposes.
Accepting donations and purchasing country food for school food programs is welcomed and encouraged at the school and government level.
Section 6 - Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs)
Nunavut recognizes three official languages of the territory: Inuktut, English and French. Preservation of these languages is a commitment that the government has made through Nunavut's Official Languages Act, and Inuit Language Protection Act. These Acts create obligations for the Government to actively offer their communications and services to the public in all its official languages.
The Department of Education provides guidance, funding and support to all Community District Education Authorities (DEAs) which include Commisssion scolaire francophone du Nunavut (CSFN). All DEAs/CSFN are treated equally with respect to language, culture and access to funding and programs guidance. The Department of Education is committed to all DEAs and CSFN to support their choice in language and services provided. To support this, the Department of Education is creating a made-in-Nunavut curriculum that delivers bilingual education reflecting all official languages and the culture of Nunavummiut.
Section 7 - Reporting
In the Year 1 Action Plan, Nunavut committed to reporting interim results for the following indicators (progress noted in Sections 1 and 2):
- hiring School Food Coordinator at the departmental level
- contracting Nutritionist/Food Services Specialist
- contracting a Capital Projects Specialist
- providing additional funding for schools to enhance their existing school food program
- beginning the development of robust baseline indicators for all schools including details regarding current school food programs, how they are delivered, what is delivered, by whom, etc
- number of schools that enhanced their school food programming
- number of additional meals served
- number of additional country food meals served
Although efforts were made in fiscal year 2024 to 2025 to fill the School Food Coordinator position as well as the Nutritionist and Capital Project Specialist contracts, with the limited time available in the fiscal year, all of the planned activities for fiscal year 2024 to 2025 will be actioned in 2025 to 2026 and interim results for the indicators above reported on in fiscal year 2025 to 2026.
Going forward, Nunavut commits to sharing an annual report and audited financial statement with Canada for each of the two fiscal years no later than October 1, 2026, and October 1, 2027, outlining the investments and results of the previous fiscal year. The annual report will show the results attributable to the funding provided by Canada under the Agreement, including:
- results for common indicators as set out in Section 3 of the Action Plan, for each year
- narrative description of the activities, expenditures and results, as set out in Section 2 of the Action Plan, for each fiscal year
- narrative description of consultation processes with Indigenous peoples, Official Language Minority Communities as well as parents, students and stakeholders
Nunavut is committed to continuing to work together with Canada to improve data collection and dissemination on key school food indicators, including exploring the collection of outcomes-based (in contrast to reach-based) indicators to measure the broader impact of school food programming on areas such as academic performance, attendance rates, mental or physical wellbeing, etc. Nunavut will also share interim data for common indicators as available (such as quarterly, semi-annually, etc.).
Appendix A: Common Reporting Indicators Table
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Indicator | Baseline (for the previous school year/prior to federal funding) | Targets (to reach by end of June each school year) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of P/T operated schools within P/T | 45 | 45 |
| Number of school aged children attending P/T operated schools | 11,327 | 11,327 |
| Number of P/T-operated schools offering school food programming* | 45 | 45 |
| Number of children and youth participating in school food programming by school or number of meals served by school through school food programs* | TBD | TBD |
| Number of P/T-operated schools offering i) breakfast program; ii) lunch program; iii) snack program; iv) "other" school food program* | TBD | TBD |
| Number of P/T-operated schools offering school food programs that accommodate diverse dietary needs (such as allergy-safe, gluten free, lactose-free, halal, kosher, vegetarian, etc) | TBD | TBD |
| Number of school-aged children who participate in school food programming in P/T schools by type of program offered: i) breakfast program; ii) lunch program iii) snack program; iv) "other" school food program | TBD | TBD |
| Number of P/T operated schools that offer school food programming that is universal* | 45 | 45 |
| Number of P/T operated schools that are offering new and/or enhanced school food programming (such as programming was not offered the prior school year)* | TBD | TBD |
| Number of school-aged children participating in P/T operated schools offering new and/or enhanced school food programming | TBD | TBD |
- *Relative to the previous year
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Indicator | Baseline (for the previous school year/prior to federal funding) | Targets (to reach by end of June each school year) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of P/T operated schools within P/T | 45 | 45 |
| Number of school aged children attending P/T operated schools | TBD | TBD |
| Number of P/T-operated schools offering school food programming* | 45 | 45 |
| Number of children and youth participating in school food programming by school or number of meals served by school through school food programs* | TBD | TBD |
| Number of P/T-operated schools offering i) breakfast program; ii) lunch program; iii) snack program; iv) "other" school food program* | TBD | TBD |
| Number of school-aged children who participate in school food programming in P/T schools by type of program offered: i) breakfast program; ii) lunch program; iii) snack program; iv) "other" school food program | TBD | TBD |
| Number of P/T operated schools that offer school food programming that is universal* | 45 | 45 |
| Number of P/T operated schools that are offering new and/or enhanced school food programming (such as programming was not offered the prior school year)* | TBD | TBD |
| Number of school-aged children participating in P/T operated schools offering new and/or enhanced school food programming | TBD | TBD |
- *Relative to the previous year