The Lord Selkirk School Division nutrition program received provincial recognition on April 17, 2026, when it was presented with the inaugural Nello Altomare Award for Excellence in School Nutrition.
The award was created to honour the late Manitoba Education Minister Nello Altomare, who championed the development of Canada’s first universal school food program. The program, which provides nutritious meals to students province-wide, was launched in the fall of 2024 with 30 million dollars in annual funding from the Manitoba government.
Chefs Paul Augst from Ruth Hooker School and Joshua Hogan from Robert Smith School accepted the award on behalf of the division. They were joined at the ceremony by nutrition driver Murray Wilkinson, Principal Kristin Fillion, Board Chair Lena Kublick, and Superintendent Jerret Long.
The division operates 15 schools serving students across the Selkirk and Interlake region. By providing consistent access to healthy meals, the nutrition program aims to remove barriers to learning and support student well-being within the local community.
