PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT TAKES ACTION, RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF A HEALTHY BREAKFAST IN FOSTERING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Quebec City, June 22, 2018 – As announced in the Government of Quebec’s Educational Services Strategy in January 2018, Sébastien Proulx, Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports, today confirmed that school boards will be receiving additional funding to serve breakfast in primary schools located in disadvantaged communities of the province.

Through this new budgetary measure, the government is not only making it possible to expand the school meal program to ensure an even greater number of children have an equal chance at success but is also recognizing the importance of a healthy breakfast in fostering academic performance.

Currently active in 312 schools and benefiting from the expertise gained over the past 23 years, Breakfast Club of Canada is eager to work with the school communities in partnership, to implement breakfast programs in more than 400 new schools. The Club is ready to accommodate the additional demand.

“This is a big day for the Club, the partners, contributors and numerous donors who have been speaking up, and stepping forward for the past 23 years. We greet this announcement with great pride and enthusiasm,” stated Breakfast Club of Canada Founding President Daniel Germain.

Breakfast Club of Canada’s core philosophy is that children deserve to start the school day with a nutritious breakfast in an inclusive, caring environment. Over the years, the Club has helped shed light on the positive impacts and outcomes of school meal programs.

“We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all those who have supported and continue to support Breakfast Club of Canada,” added Mr. Germain. “Their commitment has made a difference for hundreds of thousands of children across Quebec.”

He concluded by saying, “In taking action today, the government of Quebec is acknowledging that food security and balanced nutrition are a priority for our children. Neither the public sector nor the private sector can win this fight alone. By joining forces today, we will be giving kids the best possibility for success and helping them live up to their full potential. Together, we can make it happen.”

Key Facts and Figures

  • Breakfast Club of Canada currently supports 312 breakfast programs in Quebec.
  • More than 3,332,500 breakfasts were served during this past school year by Club-supported programs.
  • Over 20,000 children enjoy a wholesome morning meal every school day thanks to Breakfast Club of Canada.
  • The Club’s volunteer base is now 3,500 strong.

 What Our Partners Have to Say

Pierre Riel, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Eastern Canada Region, Costco Canada

“As the chair of the Breakfast Club of Canada Board of Directors, I am overjoyed with today’s announcement! We are proud to see the government embrace the model developed by the Club. Children are at the heart of everything we do, and we are honoured at the prospect of teaming up with the communities and schools supported by our organization.”

“In my capacity as a member of the business community and the Senior Vice President and General Manager, Eastern Canada Region, Costco Canada, I have the same reaction. Quebec companies have been showing their support for the Club’s mission for 23 years now. Corporate donations and sponsorships make up more than 95% of our funding, and we are tremendously grateful for them. Every initiative has contributed and will continue to contribute to identifying and meeting the needs of our kids. Today, the government is joining us in our efforts. Let’s all do our part for the younger generation and help put them on the path to success!”

Isabelle Rayle-Doiron, Vice President, Public Affairs and General Counsel, Danone Canada

“As a partner of Breakfast Club of Canada for more than 20 years, Danone, whose mission is to achieve health through food on a broad a scale as possible, firmly believes that a nutritious breakfast is essential to helping children be all they can be.”

“We are delighted that the Club will have access to this new and significant source of support so it can continue working toward its mission to reach out to Canadian children and do so in an even timelier manner.”

 About Breakfast Club of Canada

For 23 years, Breakfast Club of Canada has been committed to nurturing the potential of children by ensuring that as many as possible have access to a nutritious breakfast served in an environment that promotes their self-esteem before classes begin. Much more than a breakfast program, the Club’s approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development. It partners with communities and regional organizations to establish an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Now active across Canada, the Breakfast Club helps feed over 200,000 Canadian children in 1,600 schools across the country.

Source

Malika Paradis
Tact Intelligence Conseil
(418) 933-2593

For more information

Sophie Boulay
Director, Communications, Marketing and Development
Breakfast Club of Canada
Office: 450-641-3230
Mobile: 514-240-4262

 

BREAKFAST CLUB OF CANADA: 24 YEARS YOUNG!

Boucherville, November 1, 2018 – Today marks the 24th anniversary of the founding of Breakfast Club of Canada.

The past year has been brimming over with good things for our kids:

  • From October 21 to 25, 2018, Breakfast Club of Canada took part in the Global Child Nutrition Forum, the year after the Club hosted the event in Montreal. International leaders in the field shared their experiences and best practices in a collective effort to improve the lives of children around the world.
  • Contribution to establishing a provincial budgetary measure earmarking $50 million over a five-year period to allow school boards to open new breakfast programs.
  • Management of an innovative government pilot project to make breakfast available in educational childcare centres in Quebec.
  • Efforts to raise awareness among federal MPs through invitations to visit breakfast programs in their constituency.
  • 8.1% increase in the number of children helped by the Club every day, bringing the current total to 220,426.

Quote:
“Day by day, we are getting closer and closer to our dream of giving every child an equal chance at success. Today, Breakfast Club of Canada is known the world over for the key role it plays in fighting child malnutrition and is a respected contributor to events such as the Global Child Nutrition Forum, which took place last week in Tunis.”
— Daniel Germain, President and Founder, Breakfast Club of Canada

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About Breakfast Club of Canada
For 24 years, Breakfast Club of Canada has been committed to nurturing the potential of children by ensuring that as many as possible have access to a nutritious breakfast served in an environment that promotes their self-esteem before classes begin. Much more than a breakfast program, the Club’s approach is based on commitment, self-esteem and capacity development. It partners with communities and regional organizations to establish an optimal formula adapted to local needs. Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed more than 220,000 children and youth in over 1,640 schools across the country.

Contact information:
Justine Plourde
Communications Advisor, Public Relations
Breakfast Club of Canada
justine.plourde@clubdejeuner.org
1-888-442-1217, ext. 3369

BREAKFAST CLUB OF CANADA AND TRANSCANADA CELEBRATE CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP SERVING NUTRITIOUS BREAKFASTS AT LOCAL SCHOOLS IN SMITHERS AND FORT ST. JAMES

Vancouver, BC, Wednesday, May 31st, 2017 – TransCanada and Breakfast Club of Canada are pleased to announce their continued partnership to offer school breakfast programs. Over the past two school mornings, local students in Smithers and Fort St. James, British Columbia have been served a nutritious breakfast by TransCanada staff, in celebration of this continued partnership. The non-profit organization and energy infrastructure leader joined forces in 2014 to provide funding for three breakfast programs across the province, and since have expanded the partnership to include six school programs in Ontario and an additional two in British Columbia.

“TransCanada  has been engaging with communities in northern British Columbia for the past five years about our proposed pipeline projects and has heard consistently, that training and education are of primary importance in this region,” says Rebecca McElhoes,  Community Relations Manager, TransCanada. “We strive to be a good neighbour and a dependable and trusted community partner. We make a point of listening to our neighbours and we support organizations and initiatives that bring communities together, develop leadership and support families.”

“TransCanada’s support over the last five years has enabled children who benefit from the Club the ability to start their day off right, says Josée Desjardins, Vice President, Ontario & Western Canada at Breakfast Club of Canada. “Their expansion within British Columbia and the country has been instrumental in the success of the programs and the children we reach.”

“The support of Breakfast Club of Canada has been tremendous for our program’, said Barb Turney, Vice-Principal at Muheim Elementary. ‘We are now able to serve a much greater variety of healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, and eggs. The Club was instrumental in helping us figure out the best way to run our program, and our students are now excited each morning to see what’s for breakfast.”

ABOUT BREAKFAST CLUB OF CANADA

Breakfast Club of Canada is a non-profit organization that provides funding, equipment, training and support to school breakfast programs across the country. We are dedicated to making sure every child starts their day with a meal, helping them thrive at school, and in their community. Founded in Quebec in 1994, Breakfast Club of Canada began to fund and support school breakfast programs nationwide in 2005.

ABOUT TRANSCANADA

With more than 65 years’ experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas and liquids pipelines, power generation and gas storage facilities. TransCanada operates a network of natural gas pipelines that extends more than 91,500 kilometres (56,900 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is the continent’s leading provider of gas storage and related services with 653 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A large independent power producer, TransCanada currently owns or has interests in over 10,100 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is also the developer and operator of one of North America’s leading liquids pipeline systems that extends over 4,300 kilometres (2,700 miles), connecting growing continental oil supplies to key markets and refineries. TransCanada’s common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP. Visit TransCanada.com and our blog to learn more, orconnect with us on social media and 3BL Media.

Breakfast Club of Canada and Air Canada Foundation make dreams come true for three BC Aboriginal youth

Montreal, January 26, 2017 – For the third consecutive year, Breakfast Club of Canada and the Air Canada Foundation were the proud hosts of a dream trip to Montreal for three BC students. Part of the annual Shooting for the Stars contest, this was organized by Breakfast Club of Canada, the Air Canada Foundation, and Carey and Angela Price of the Montreal Canadiens. While there, the three recipients from the communities of Anahim Lake, Williams Lake and Quesnel, British Columbia, met and skated with the star goaltender. Each is involved with the Club in their community and was picked by their respective school administration and Carey Price himself in recognition of their unique life experiences and touching stories.

WHAT IF 1% OF ALL THE MONEY SPENT ON BLACK FRIDAY AND CYBER MONDAY WAS DONATED TO WORTHY CAUSES?

Montreal, November 28th 2016 – In 2015, Canadians spent more than $10 billion on Black Friday and Cyber Monday—an average of $330 per person. If just 1% of this amount had instead been given to the numerous non-profit organizations in Canada, they would have received more than $100 million in donations.

“Giving Tuesday” was established in 2012 in the United States in response to the trending increase in over-consumption. With 15 founding partners and more than 4,700 participating partners, the Giving Tuesday movement encourages mutual aid in the form of donations, volunteering or simply helping a neighbour. It goes beyond holiday sales to create an opportunity to celebrate and support the charitable organizations that work hard every day to fulfill their mission.

Breakfast Club of Canada invites you to give generously on Giving Tuesday, this November 29th, a national day devoted to charity. Thanks to the tremendous generosity of its individual donors, its corporate partners and more than 17,500 volunteers, the Club can nourish children’s potential every day by serving more than 163,000 breakfasts in 1,455 schools across Canada. However, many schools from coast to coast are still waiting for our funding to start a breakfast program. At the Club, $1 equals 1 breakfast, so every donation has an amazing impact on our children.

About the Breakfast Club of Canada

For 22 years, Breakfast Club of Canada has been nourishing children’s potential by making sure as many of them as possible have access to a healthy morning meal before school, in an environment that allows their self-esteem to grow and flourish. But the Club is much more than a breakfast program: we take a broader approach that promotes the core values of engagement, enrichment and empowerment, and we team up with communities and local partners to develop solutions adapted to their specific needs. Operating from coast to coast, the Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed 164,000 students every day in 1,455 schools.

IKEA CANADA ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BREAKFAST CLUB OF CANADA

This commitment will provide over 150,000 additional meals and support childhood development from coast-to-coast

Burlington, ON – IKEA Canada is thrilled to announce a new partnership with the Breakfast Club of Canada to support childhood development in each of the communities where it operates. For each breakfast sold at IKEA Canada restaurants from November 1st to 30th, IKEA will donate $1 to the Breakfast Club of Canada to feed a child in each our local communities, up to a maximum of $150,000. Additionally, donations of cooking and eating products, as well as volunteerism will be contributed to the Breakfast Club of Canada over the next year to help to operate existing school breakfast programs and help to establish new programs in areas of critical need, including First Nations communities.

“At IKEA Canada, we believe that children are the most important people in the world and we are proud to partner with the Breakfast Club of Canada to support childhood development in each of the communities where we operate,” said Brendan Seale, sustainability manager, IKEA Canada. “One in five children across Canada are at risk of going to school with an empty stomach – for a variety of reasons – and we are proud to support the Breakfast Club of Canada to enable children to start to the day with well-nourished bodies so that they can develop well-nourished minds.”

“When we say that every dollar and every gesture counts, this is a great example. IKEA Canada’s generous support is very important and appreciated by everyone at the Breakfast Club of Canada” said Daniel Germain, president and founder at the Breakfast Club of Canada. “It is heart-warming to see that a partner like IKEA Canada cares that much about our mission. With IKEA Canada as a committed, national partner, we can concentrate on providing school children their daily breakfast.”

IKEA Canada co-workers from across the country will have the opportunity to support their local Breakfast Club of Canada by ‘adopting-a-club’ to serve breakfast regularly, to packing breakfast bags for delivery to nearby schools.

The launch of this partnership coincides with the launch of a new IKEA breakfast offering, as part of IKEA Canada’s commitment to continuously improving the entire food experience, offering appetizing food that is healthy and sustainably produced at affordable prices for the many. Additions include a new children’s menu and vegetarian options, as well as serving cage-free eggs in all of its IKEA Canada restaurants as of November 2nd, 2016. To learn more about the wider food menu, visit www.IKEAFoodFacts.ca

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About IKEA Canada:

IKEA is a leading home furnishing retailer with 375 stores in more than 50 countries worldwide, which are visited by 884 million people every year. IKEA Canada has 12 stores, an eCommerce virtual store, 6 Pick-up and order points in Quebec City and southern Ontario and two Collection Points in Halifax and Saskatoon. The company also recently announced plans to open stores in Halifax and Quebec City. Last year, IKEA Canada welcomed 25 million visitors to its stores and 75 million visitors to the IKEA.ca website. Founded in 1943, IKEA’s business philosophy is to offer a wide range of products of good design and function at prices so low, the majority of people can afford them. For more information on IKEA, please visit: www.IKEA.ca.

About Breakfast Club of Canada:

For 20 years, Breakfast Club of Canada has been nourishing children’s potential by making sure as many of them as possible have access to a healthy morning meal before school, in an environment that allows their self-esteem to grow and flourish. But the Club is much more than a breakfast program: we take a broader approach that promotes the core values of engagement, enrichment and empowerment, and we team up with communities and local partners to develop solutions adapted to their specific needs. Operating from coast to coast, the Breakfast Club of Canada helps feed 163,634 students every day in 1,455 schools.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:                                                                                  
Stephanie Kerr
Corporate Press Officer
905-637-9440 ext. 6378
stephanie.kerr@IKEA.com