The federal government is touting its national school lunch program as a major success, but newly released documents show Ottawa can’t say how many children have actually been fed — despite ministers repeatedly claiming the number is 400,000.Blacklock's Reporter says an Inquiry of Ministry tabled in the Commons revealed that federal departments never tracked how many meals were served or how many students received them. The data was requested by Conservative MP Matt Strauss, who asked how many meals had been funded since the program began in 2024.The Department of Social Development acknowledged it does not know, saying it has spent “approximately” $228 million so far but has no final reporting from provinces and territories for 2025. The Department of indigenous Services reported $85.5 million in spending but admitted it does not collect detailed program-level data. Crown-Indigenous Relations, which spent $30.8 million, also said its reporting requirements do not track the number of students served..The lack of information stands in sharp contrast to cabinet members who have used glowing anecdotes to defend the program. Labour Minister Patty Hajdu told MPs in September that even a Grade 7 student believed the program was transforming society. Liberal MP Anna Gainey told a story of a woman in Newfoundland and Labrador who said the program was “wonderful” and had created new jobs in her community..The program launched on April 1, 2024 with $200 million a year in federal funding.Then-prime minister Justin Trudeau said it would help 400,000 more children eat, amounting to $2.78 per day.But advocates quickly warned Ottawa’s math didn’t add up.The Breakfast Club told senators last year the subsidy was too small, saying real costs are closer to $3 to $6 per day. A University of Saskatchewan report put average lunch program costs at $6.45 per student — more than double the federal estimate.
