Food gift cards available for families in need following ice storm

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced new plans to help needy Ontarians who have lost perishable food because of power outages due to the ice storm.

Wynne announced Monday that $100 food replacement gift cards will be available for families in need due to food loss because of the ice storm.

Starting Tuesday, people who need gift cards can get them at some Ontario works offices. People will be required to show proof of their address and how many people are in their family.

Fifteen offices in Toronto will distribute the gift cards and Wynne has invited other municipalities to offer the same. Click here for a list of participating offices.

“It’s been a long nine days,” Wynne said on Monday, “but everyone has pulled together.”

The province is also matching donations from Loblaw, Sobeys and Shopper’s Drug Mart. Each company has donated $25,000.

“The compensation I was most concerned about is food … that’s why we’re working with the private sector and private retailers,” Wynne told reporters on Sunday.

Priority will be given to people who cannot afford to replace spoiled food.

Extra food will also be available through the Daily Bread Food Bank.

“Really it is the food compensation that we’re most concerned about,” said Wynne. “And food compensation that is the most quantifiable and easy to deal with.”

Wynne also added that she has no doubt in her mind that everything was done in a timely manner to to respond to the storm. She did say that there are always lessons to learn and that she will be reviewing the response.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today