by Nash Alonto
April 9, 2024
A government minister was called out over a failed pilot food program for Island seniors during Question Period on Friday, April 5, at the Legislative Assembly.
Liberal MLA Gordon McNeilly called out Social Development and Seniors Minister Barbara Ramsay for underspending on the seniors’ pilot food program, claiming that her department only spent $210,000 on freezers for storing pre-made food.
Launched in March last year, the Seniors’ Pilot Food Program deliver pre-made meals to seniors in certain communities in Eastern P.E.I., at a subsidized cost of $4 a meal for five meals a week, with the purpose of addressing food insecurity and isolation amongst Island seniors. It only lasted for four months, ending in July. Only 16 seniors benefited from the program, despite a budget of $250,000.
“Hundreds should have been helped. Food insecurity is a dire issue for Islanders in poverty and for those on fixed incomes, and how out of touch for the minister to be charging $4 each per meal,” he said.
Ramsay responded by saying that it was an honour for her to work with and support Island seniors, though she admitted the pilot program was not successful.
“It was a pilot program. We were unaware that it wasn’t going to be successful. We put many efforts into getting the word out to folks, ensuring that if they needed a meal, that we could certainly supply that,” she said.
Ramsay announced that their putting a new plan in place of the food pilot program and claimed that Island seniors are pleased by it.
“We’re going to try something different where we have grants of up to $5,000 to, I think, 50 different groups who have applied across Prince Edward Island to feed seniors, to enable seniors to socialize, to get them out of isolation, to have them in for a meal, to be together,” she said.
McNeilly, however, claimed it does nothing for the bigger solution.
“You just said you scrapped the plan. You just said that it was an unsuccessful pilot program. That’s devastating for our province and people who are hungry,” he said.
In response, Ramsay said she was proud of their partnership with other non-profits, such as Meals on Wheels.
“We are now working with Meals on Wheels at a greater level, at a higher level. We would like to see them – they’re going to be going into O’Leary and Souris. So, they’re planning on extending their wheelhouse as far as what they can offer, and we’re planning on supporting them financially, and we are supporting them,” she said.
Ramsay said her department gave Island seniors a one-time food inflation supplement, which is part of the government’s Seniors Independence Initiative (SII) program.
“That money was just mailed out, and there are thousands of seniors on the SII program. We did the seniors grant pilot program, which allows $5,000 for each organization that applied, and we had up to 50 of those. We’ve also given money to Meals on Wheels to build our relationship with them,” she said.
McNeilly, however, said that while there is a mandate to reduce food insecurity by Jan. 1, there was no primary focus on seniors.
“When can all Islanders expect relief from hunger and what steps are being taken – all Islanders – to address food insecurity comprehensively in Prince Edward Island? Minister, that’s your responsibility,” he said.
Ramsay responded by listing the various social programs her department has implemented, such as the SII.
“I don’t know. We’re doing everything we can, member. We’re doing everything we can,” she said.
McNeilly fired back, saying the province doesn’t need any more failed pilot programs, and even said that the programs she mentioned were Liberal initiatives.
“This is not funny,” he said.
Ramsay repeated her previous answer in response.
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