The Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program (NFVP) is serving fresh fruit and vegetables to elementary students in the District of Thunder Bay! Since 2006, the NFVP has been wildly successful with children in the northeastern region of Ontario, and as of May 2018, the program expanded to our region.
The NFVP is a food literacy program that aims to increase consumption and awareness of fruits and vegetables, as well as provide healthy eating and physical activity education resources, to school-aged children from JK to Grade 8 in northern Ontario. The goal is to positively influence children and build a strong foundation to live a healthy lifestyle.
Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and distributed by the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association this program provides students from JK to grade 8 weekly deliveries of one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetables for each student starting November 2022 through until June 2023.
Close to 14,000 students in over 80 schools from Thunder Bay to Manitouwadge to Fort Severn and every elementary school in between will be enjoying fresh fruit and veggies during the winter and spring months!
NEW! A 4-week physical activity challenge, Walk Broc and Roll, created to support youth (JK – Grade 8) to develop positive relationships with food and physical activity will be piloted in a handful of schools in November – December 2022. This challenge also includes take-home food literacy activities for students and their families. Stay tuned for more info!
To the left you will find information and resources to help integrate the NFVP into your school from in school food literacy activities, to storage recommendations for NFVP deliveries in school.
Participating Schools
The 2022/2023 program will include service to all of these schools, beginning November 2022 until June 2023:
First Nation Community Schools
Aglace Chapman Education Centre – Kitchenuhamaykoosib Inninuwug
Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Endzhi Gkinoomadig - Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation
Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek School – Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek First Nation
John C. Yesno Education Centre – Eabametoong First Nation
Johnny Therriault Memorial School – Aroland First Nation
Mary Ann Aganash Memorial School – Kingfisher Lake Fist Nation
Neskantaga Education Centre – Neskantaga First Nation
Nibinamik Education Centre – Nibinamik First Nation
Reverend Eleazar Winter Memorial School – Wapekeka First Nation
Simon Jacob Memorial Centre – Webequie First Nation
St. Ann – Fort William First Nation
Wasaho First Nation School – Fort Severn First Nation
Lakehead Public School Board
Algonquin Avenue School
Armstrong Elementary School
C.D. Howe School
Claude E. Garton School
Crestview School
École Elsie MacGill School
École Gron Morgan School
Five Mile School
Gorham and Ware School
Kakabeka Falls Public School
Kingsway Park School
McKellar Park School
McKenzie Public School
Nor'westerview School
Ogden Community School
Sherbrooke School
St. James School
Valley Central School
Vance Chapman School
Westmount School
Whitefish School
Woodcrest School
Thunder Bay District Catholic School Board
Bishop E.Q. Jennings Senior Elementary
Bishop Gallagher Senior Elementary
Corpus Christi School
Holy Cross School
Our Lady of Charity School
Pope John Paul II Senior Elementary (Gr 7/8)
St. Ann School
St. Ann School (FWFN Satellite Site)
St. Bernard School
St. Elizabeth School
St. Francis School
St. Jude School
St. Margaret School
St. Martin School
St. Paul School
St. Pius X School
St. Thomas Aquinas School
St. Vincent School
Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales
École catholique Franco-Terrace
École Notre-Dame-de-Fatima
École catholique Val-des-Bois
École secondairecatholique de la Vérendrye
École St-Joseph
Notre-Dame-des-Écoles
Keewatin-Patricia District School Board
Upsala Public School
Superior-Greenstone District School Board
B.A. Parker Public School
Beardmore Public School
Dorion Public School
George O’Neill Public School
Manitouwadge Public School
Margaret Twomey Public School
Marjorie Mills Public School
Nakina Public School
Schreiber Public School
Terrace Bay Public School
Superior North Catholic District School Board
Holy Angels Catholic School
Holy Saviour Catholic School
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
St. Edward Catholic School
St. Hilary Catholic School
St. Joseph Catholic School
St. Martin Catholic School
Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l'Ontario
École publique Franco-Manitou
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Each school board/authority receives funding that is allocated to each school. All costs for supplies for the program should be covered.
Funding is provided to train one person at each school to receive the Safe Food Handling Certificate, preferably the School NFVP Coordinator. To learn more please email NFVP@tbdhu.com.
No. With parental/guardian consent, students from Grade 5 - 8 complete a short, 15-minute post-program survey at school in June. The survey measures the change in children’s attitude and behaviour toward produce, and their fruit and vegetable knowledge.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) works in collaboration with the Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) to bring NFVP to your school.
For Further Information
If you have a question, please contact Victoria Pullia, Program Lead, at (807) 625-5962 or Toll-Free at 1-888-294-6630 or email NFVP@tbdhu.com.