Photo: Catholic Division board chair Suzanne Stubbs chairs a meeting at the Prince Albert Catholic Division Education Centre on Sept. 14. / Michael Oleksyn/Daily Herald
By: Michael Oleksyn
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Prince Albert Daily Herald
The Feeding our Future Emergency Lunch program is celebrating 10 years serving students in Prince Albert.
The program has served over one million meals to students in Prince Albert in the decade since it began.
The program serves student in both the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division and Prince Albert Catholic School Division. It provides emergency lunches to all children in need, from Kindergarten through Grade 8.
The program partners include Lakeland Ford, Lakeland Hyundai, Broda Group, Lake Country Co-op, Conexus Credit Union and B&B Construction.
Prince Albert Catholic School Division education director Lorel Trumier thanked those partners for their commitment.
“When you think of the support that we receive from our partners on this process, it really you can’t measure just in dollars and cents, the impact that they’ve had. It’s been tremendous support,” Trumier said.
Trumier appreciates the commitment from the partners.
“And the fact that they have made it sustainable, I think is one of the key goals of the project that they had wanted 10 years ago. And to see it last 10 years really speaks to the demonstrated strength of the commitment of the organizations that are supporting us,” Trumier said.
Trumier updated the board of education on the program during their regular meeting on Sept. 14.
A Catholic School Division memo shows 13,583 emergency lunches were provided for students during the division’s 2025-2026 school year (from September to May). Each lunch provides a meat sandwich, a piece of fruit and some yogurt.
According to the Catholic Division memo, the donated value of the lunches was more than $28,000. The partners have confirmed their commitment for 2026-2027.
Trumier said there is no way the division would be able to meet that need on their own as demand has increased.
On Dec. 5, 2016, Lakeland Ford, Lakeland Hyundai, the Broda Group and Lakeland Co-op collaborated to start the initiative. Conexus Credit Union came aboard in 2019.
Together, these businesses have fulfilled an urgent need for the children of Prince Albert – providing nutrition and better allow children to learn.
At the Sept.8 board of education meeting of the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division the five partners were recognized for their decade of commitment.
According to Trumier the board has recognized the partners in the past and are planning recognition in the future.
“Our board is discussing what we would be looking at to thank the organizers and doing a little something for them. We’re just getting our heads wrapped around that,” Trumier said.