GREEN LAKE, SK, June 30, 2026 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is focused on building a stronger economy and making life more affordable for Canadians. Today, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development, on behalf of the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, met with members of the Green Lake community and highlighted the launch of the National Food Security Strategy.
Backed by more than $3 billion in investments over 10 years, this strategy will drive productivity and innovation, support independent grocers and create greater competition across Canada's food system to help lower prices for Canadians.
The Secretary of State outlined the strategy's four main objectives:
- Spur grocery store competition and create more choice for Canadians
The Government of Canada will invest $1 billion in food infrastructure--including new and expanded food terminals and hubs--to help independent grocers buy and move competitively priced products without relying on supply networks owned by large retail chains. Additional funding will also provide the Competition Bureau and Competition Tribunal with more resources to investigate, prevent and combat unfair business practices. - Boost domestic food production across Canada
For decades, we've been paying other countries to convert what we already have into what we really need. This strategy changes that. The Government of Canada will launch a new $1 billion Agri-food Project Finance Fund through Farm Credit Canada and a $150 million Food Security Fund to help Canadian businesses grow, produce and process more food in Canada. It will also invest $100 million to create the Collaborative Food Innovation Fund to help producers make better use of what they already grow--expanding processing so more parts of each crop are used and so more value is kept in Canada. - Grow fruits and vegetables year-round
We will invest $750 million to drastically expand year-round Canadian production of fruits and vegetables through greenhouses, vertical farms and other enclosed growing spaces, including in rural and northern communities. The strategy will reduce reliance on long, costly supply chains by helping expand local food production. - Cut red tape across the agricultural supply chain
To reduce the regulatory burden on farmers and producers, we will modernize key regulations; speed up approvals for seeds, feed, fertilizers and veterinary products; and reduce backlogs that slow down the system. This will help farmers access the tools they need sooner, increase productivity and stabilize the food supply. The strategy will also help provincially licensed food businesses meet federal requirements so that a Canadian product made in one province or territory can more easily reach a shelf in another.
As part of this work, the government launched the intake period for the new Community Support Stream under the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, a program under which the community of Green Lake has previously received funding to strengthen food security in northern Saskatchewan. This $20 million program stream is designed to support the distribution of nutritious food to families in need and those most at risk of food insecurity across Canada.
A country's sovereignty depends on its ability to feed itself, fuel itself and defend itself. And right now, Canada is not fully in control of our own food system. Our overreliance on foreign suppliers has left us vulnerable to global shocks--to conflicts overseas, to droughts and to tariffs. Our new National Food Security Strategy is about changing that. It is about putting Canadians back in control of what we grow, of what we buy and of what we put on our tables, so that we can build a truly strong, affordable, resilient Canada for all.
Quotes
"The National Food Security Strategy is about giving Canadians greater choice, control and access to affordable, locally produced food. Through this made-in-Canada approach, we will be able to process more of what our farmers grow, creating new jobs, economic opportunity and more food self-sufficiency. By reducing red tape and helping innovative businesses get projects off the ground faster, we will unlock new opportunities for farmers, food processors and entrepreneurs across the agri-food sector."
– The Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
"Saskatchewan feeds Canada and the world. Strong rural, remote and northern communities are key to our country's food security and food sovereignty. This landmark strategy will help ensure that more of the food Canadians rely on is grown, processed and distributed right here at home, creating new opportunities for rural communities while giving Canadians more food choices and a stronger, more resilient food system, year-round. Thank you to Green Lake and to all Saskatchewan communities that are working hard to improve food security in communities across the province."
– The Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development
"I welcome the opportunity for Green Lake to be a food hub community. It has been a tradition to grow our own food and to forage meat and fish; this has been lost to the current generation. Today, we're glad to be able to re-establish this tradition."
– Jim Laliberte, Mayor of Green Lake
"I would like to thank Agriculture Canada for the grant funding to initiate a greenhouse project that will support food security for the community."
– Darwin Lafond, Alderman of Green Lake
Quick facts
- The strategy builds on federal measures already helping lower everyday costs for Canadians. For example, the government:
- eliminated the goods and services tax (GST) for first-time homebuyers on new homes up to $1 million and reducing it on new homes between $1 million and $1.5 million
- made the National School Food Program permanent, providing school meals for up to 400,000 children each year and saving participating families with two children in school an estimated $800 annually on groceries
- cancelled the federal consumer carbon price, effective April 1, 2025, helping lower gas prices in most provinces and territories by around 18 cents per litre compared to 2024–2025
- launched the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, providing a family of four up to $1,890 this year and about $1,400 a year for the next four years, and a single person up to $950 this year and about $700 a year for the next four years--reaching more than 12 million Canadians
- To support Canadians while building a stronger domestic food system, the government is also doing the following:
- It is providing $20 million to food banks and community food organizations across the country through the Local Food Infrastructure Fund's Community Support Stream.
- Through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and the regional development agencies, the government will call on industry leaders and invite them to put forward projects to improve resilience and self-sufficiency in food processing by building new capacity, modernizing existing capacity and strengthening our support infrastructure. The Strategic Response Fund launched an early wave of its call for proposals in June 2026, which will be followed by a second wave in the fall of 2026, in conjunction with regional development agencies.
- It is delivering immediate expensing for new or expanded greenhouse construction, providing upfront tax relief to help boost the domestic supply of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- It is reforming the Nutrition North Canada program to improve food-related access, affordability and long-term sustainability in northern communities.
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Contacts: Connor Burton, Senior Communications and Issues Advisor and Press Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State for Rural Development, [email protected], 343-549-8093; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, [email protected]
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