Olivia Chow promises to add full school lunches to Toronto's food program by 2030
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow announced Monday she would expand the city's school food program to include a full lunch for every student if re-elected, saying the plan could save families up to $1,800 per child each year.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on toronto.citynews.ca.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow announced Monday that she would expand the city's school food program to include a full lunch for every student if re-elected, CityNews Toronto reported. The campaign says families could save up to $1,800 per child each year, a figure the campaign put forward at a press conference.
The proposed expansion would build on the existing morning meal program, which already operates at every school in Toronto and provides at least a morning meal to 330,000 students, according to CityNews Toronto. The broader program was expanded under Chow's current administration.
"We will fund it the same way we funded the Morning Meal Program. We will phase it in. Test it, do our homework. We will make it a group project," Chow said at Monday's press conference. "We will work with the provincial and federal governments to make it happen by 2030. When we are done with morning meals and lunches in place, families can save around $1,800 a year, per kid."
The campaign says the program would be funded through contributions from the City of Toronto, provincial and federal governments, and private donors, using the same model as the current morning meal program. CityNews reported that the campaign says more details on implementation and timelines would be released as part of the phased rollout.
Bradford's response
Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford responded to the announcement, as reported by CityNews Toronto on October 5, 2026. "Today, she talks about a program with no idea how to fund it. No idea of the size of the scope or the expansion of that," Bradford said. He also said that on back-to-back days Chow's campaign has made new announcements.
Background
Chow said at the press conference that she and former Toronto city councillor and federal NDP leader Jack Layton advocated for universal school meals more than 30 years ago. "Back in 1990, Jack Layton and I made a plan to feed every kid in Toronto schools," she said.
The campaign says the lunch expansion would reduce grocery costs for families and remove the daily task of preparing school lunches. "Prices at big grocery stores just keep rising," Chow said in a statement released by her campaign. "We can save families thousands of dollars a year feeding kids in school."
When and where to vote
Advance voting is open from Tuesday, October 6 to Sunday, October 11, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, at two locations in each of Toronto's 25 wards. Voters can find their nearest location at myvote.toronto.ca. You can compare all mayoral candidates at /on/toronto-2026/candidates#mayor.
Olivia Chow's candidate page and Brad Bradford's candidate page list their declared positions and campaign links. Election day is Monday, October 26.
Questions this story answers
What did Olivia Chow announce about school lunches?
At a press conference on Monday, October 5, 2026, Olivia Chow said she would expand Toronto's school food program to include a full lunch for every student in the city if re-elected, CityNews Toronto reported. The campaign says families could save up to $1,800 per child each year, a figure that is the campaign's own. The program would be phased in and completed by 2030.
What is Toronto's current school food program?
According to CityNews Toronto, Toronto already runs a school food program that reaches every school in the city and provides at least a morning meal to 330,000 students. Chow's administration expanded the existing program to its current scale. The proposed lunch expansion would add a full midday meal on top of the existing morning offering.
How would the lunch program be funded?
Chow's campaign says the expanded program would be funded the same way as the current morning meal program: through contributions from the City of Toronto, the provincial and federal governments, and private donors. CityNews Toronto reported that the campaign says more details on implementation and timelines would be released as the program is phased in. CityNews Toronto reported that Chow said at her press conference: 'We will fund it the same way we funded the Morning Meal Program.'
What did Brad Bradford say about Chow's school lunch plan?
Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford said, as reported by CityNews Toronto: 'Today, she talks about a program with no idea how to fund it. No idea of the size of the scope or the expansion of that.' He also said that on back-to-back days Chow's campaign has made new announcements. These are Bradford's own characterizations; CityNews Toronto reported his response on October 5, 2026.
When would the full lunch program be in place?
Chow's campaign says the full lunch program would be in place by 2030, phased in. At her press conference, Chow said she would 'work with the provincial and federal governments to make it happen by 2030.' CityNews Toronto reported that the campaign says more details on implementation and timelines would be released as part of the phased rollout.
How much could families save under the proposed program?
Chow's campaign says the program could save families up to $1,800 per child each year once fully in place. This is the campaign's own figure, presented at a press conference on October 5, 2026, and reported by CityNews Toronto. CityNews Toronto says the campaign puts the savings down to reduced grocery spending and lower out-of-pocket food costs throughout the school year.
Where can I read more about Olivia Chow's platform?
Olivia Chow's candidate page on this site is at /on/toronto-2026/candidates/olivia-chow. It lists her declared positions and links to her campaign. You can compare all mayoral candidates at /on/toronto-2026/candidates#mayor.
When and where can I vote in Toronto's 2026 municipal election?
Advance voting runs from Tuesday, October 6 to Sunday, October 11, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. There are two advance voting locations in each of Toronto's 25 wards. Voters can find the location nearest to them at myvote.toronto.ca. Election day is Monday, October 26.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- CityNews Toronto: Olivia Chow pledges universal school lunch programtoronto.citynews.ca
- City of Toronto: 2026 Municipal Electiontoronto.ca
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