Budget Talks project tracker
Use the project tracker to follow our progress, as we work to implement citizen-submitted ideas from Budget Talks.
- Planning0projects are being researched
- Developing5project is being developed and designed
- Implementing2project is being executed
- Complete2projects have been completed
| Project | Expected Completion Date | Status | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
Increasing mental health programs for students (MOHLTC)Promote mental health for school-aged children and youth. Funded programs will help youth by fostering resilience and supporting their well-being. | Winter 2019 | Developing Current status: We'll invest $1 million to fund mental health initiatives for school-aged children at up to five Public Health Units. Public Health Units across Ontario will be invited to propose projects. Projects will be selected based on demonstrated need and their potential to increase mental health for students. Funding will be provided by December 2018 and Public Health Units will begin implementing mental health projects for school-aged children by January 2019. | Student success |
Teaching elementary school children about gardening (EDU)Start Edible Garden Programs in Elementary Schools. This grant program will partner with local organizations and schools to grow food, learn about gardening and support access to healthy food in their communities. | June 2019 | Developing Current status: Up to 190 elementary schools across the province will partner with local organizations to create edible gardens during the 2018–19 school year. $1 million will be spent on approved projects in 2018–19. | Student Success |
Increasing access to healthy food in Northern Ontario (MOHLTC)Support local ideas to increase access to sufficient, safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food in First Nation communities. | Fall 2019 | Developing Current status: Up to 20 Student Nutrition Program (SNP) partners that work with First Nation communities will receive funding for projects that increase food access. $1 million will be spent on approved projects in 2018–19. Potential projects include:
| Healthy living |
Promoting mental health for people who are under-housed (MOHLTC)Promote mental health among people who are under-housed or living in rural and remote regions. | Winter 2019 | Developing Current status: Up to five Public Health Units will receive one-time funding for initiatives that promote mental health for people who are under-housed or living in rural and remote regions. Public Health Units across Ontario will be invited to propose projects. Projects will be selected based on demonstrated need and their potential to promote mental health for people who are under-housed. $1 million in funding will be provided by December 2018, and Public Health Units will begin implementation in January 2019. | Healthy living |
Reducing food waste from retailers (MOECC)Expand on the 2017 Budget Talks pilot to reduce and prevent food waste from businesses such as supermarkets, restaurants and hotels, and redistribute food through social service organizations to people in need. | March 2019 | Developing Current status: This idea will receive a one-time investment of $1 million in 2018–19, to reduce and prevent food waste. | Healthy living |
| Project | Expected Completion Date | Status | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
Reducing and preventing food waste (MOECC)Create a Supermarket Recovery Program to decrease the amount of surplus perishable and prepared foods that are thrown away and redistribute food to Ontarians in need. The pilot program will provide funding to support opportunities for collaboration with local charities and non-profit organizations to rescue nutritious food and support community initiatives. | Summer/fall 2018 | Implementing Current status: The province is providing $600,000 to Second Harvest to expand a pilot program aimed at recovering nutritious surplus, food from local grocery stores, restaurants and hotels and safely distributing it to Ontarians in need. The pilot is expected to roll out in Kingston, Sudbury and Niagara region this spring before it launches province wide in the summer. | Fight climate change through conservation and a low carbon economy. |
Improving digital services for libraries (MTCS)Improve digital services for up to 224 rural, remote and First Nation Public Libraries. Depending on local needs, a variety of digital service options would be made available to choose from, including:
| May 2018 | Implementing Current status: A total of 302 public and First Nation libraries have received $2.98 million from the Improving Library Digital Services (ILDS) fund. This includes 219 rural, remote and First Nation libraries across Ontario. The ILDS fund is a combination of $1 million funding from Budget Talks and an added $2-million investment from the ministry. | Improving community resources and services. |
Accessing digitized health data (MOHLTC)Children's Immunization Records Online: Help parents securely access their child's immunization records by piloting a Public Authentication and Registration Process using banking credentials (and other information such as a patient's health number). We will work with 2 public health units who already have the Digital Yellow Card technology in place to pilot this project. Access Health Data Online: Allow patients to securely access their health data (e.g. lab records, current medications, hospital visits) regardless of where the digital health record actually lives. We will work to find a limited number of hospitals who already have the technology in place to pilot this idea. | Children's Immunization Records Online Access Health Data Online | Children's Immunization Records Online Access Health Data Online | Children's Immunization Records Online Access Health Data Online |
Budget Talks 2018 projects
Increasing mental health programs for students (MOHLTC)
Promote mental health for school-aged children and youth. Funded programs will help youth by fostering resilience and supporting their well-being.
Expected Completion Date: Winter 2019
Status: Developing
Current status: We'll invest $1 million to fund mental health initiatives for school-aged children at up to five Public Health Units.
Public Health Units across Ontario will be invited to propose projects. Projects will be selected based on demonstrated need and their potential to increase mental health for students.
Funding will be provided by December 2018 and Public Health Units will begin implementing mental health projects for school-aged children by January 2019.
Category: Student success
Teaching elementary school children about gardening (EDU)
Start Edible Garden Programs in Elementary Schools. This grant program will partner with local organizations and schools to grow food, learn about gardening and support access to healthy food in their communities.
Expected Completion Date: June 2019
Status: Developing
Current status: Up to 190 elementary schools across the province will partner with local organizations to create edible gardens during the 2018–19 school year.
$1 million will be spent on approved projects in 2018–19.
Category: Student success
Increasing access to healthy food in Northern Ontario (MOHLTC)
Support local ideas to increase access to sufficient, safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food in First Nation communities.
Expected Completion Date: Fall 2019
Status: Developing
Current status: Up to 20 Student Nutrition Program (SNP) partners that work with First Nation communities will receive funding for projects that increase food access.
$1 million will be spent on approved projects in 2018–19.
Potential projects include:
- new and expanded greenhouses
- food preservation projects
- school and community gardens
Category: Healthy living
Promoting mental health for people who are under-housed (MOHLTC)
Promote mental health among people who are under-housed or living in rural and remote regions.
Expected Completion Date: Winter 2019
Status: Developing
Current status: Up to five Public Health Units will receive one-time funding for initiatives that promote mental health for people who are under-housed or living in rural and remote regions.
Public Health Units across Ontario will be invited to propose projects. Projects will be selected based on demonstrated need and their potential to promote mental health for people who are under-housed.
$1 million in funding will be provided by December 2018, and Public Health Units will begin implementation in January 2019.
Category: Healthy living
Reducing food waste from retailers (MOHLTC)
Expand on the 2017 Budget Talks pilot to reduce and prevent food waste from businesses such as supermarkets, restaurants and hotels, and redistribute food through social service organizations to people in need.
Expected Completion Date: March 2019
Status: Developing
Current status: This idea will receive a one-time investment of $1 million in 2018–19, to reduce and prevent food waste.
Category: Healthy living
Budget Talks 2017 projects
Reducing and preventing food waste (MOECC)
Create a Supermarket Recovery Program to decrease the amount of surplus perishable and prepared foods that are thrown away and redistribute food to Ontarians in need. The pilot program will provide funding to support opportunities for collaboration with local charities and non-profit organizations to rescue nutritious food and support community initiatives.
Expected Completion Date: Summer/fall 2018
Status: Implementing
Current status: The province is providing $600,000 to Second Harvest to expand a pilot program aimed at recovering nutritious surplus, food from local grocery stores, restaurants and hotels and safely distributing it to Ontarians in need. The pilot is expected to roll out in Kingston, Sudbury and Niagara region this spring before it launches province wide in the summer.
Category: Fight climate change through conservation and a low carbon economy.
Improving digital services for libraries (MTCS)
Improve digital services for up to 224 rural, remote and First Nation Public Libraries. Depending on local needs, a variety of digital service options would be made available to choose from, including:
- Wi-Fi hotspot lending programs to enable remote internet access
- digital services/resources (e.g. computers, laptops and tablets)
- technology-based training (e.g. computer training).
Expected Completion Date: May 2018
Status: Implementing
Current status: A total of 302 public and First Nation libraries have received $2.98 million from the Improving Library Digital Services (ILDS) fund. This includes 219 rural, remote and First Nation libraries across Ontario. The ILDS fund is a combination of $1 million funding from Budget Talks and an added $2-million investment from the ministry.
Category: Improving community resources and services
Accessing digitized health data (MOHLTC)
Children's Immunization Records Online: Help parents securely access their child's immunization records by piloting a Public Authentication and Registration Process using banking credentials (and other information such as a patient's health number). We will work with 2 public health units who already have the Digital Yellow Card technology in place to pilot this project.
Access Health Data Online: Allow patients to securely access their health data (e.g. lab records, current medications, hospital visits) regardless of where the digital health record actually lives. We will work to find a limited number of hospitals who already have the technology in place to pilot this idea.
Children's Immunization Records Online
Expected Completion Date: March 2018
CompletedCategory: Make health care easier to access
Access Health Data Online
Expected Completion Date: January 2018
CompletedCategory: Make health care easier to access