Ontario government makes deal with Shoppers Drug Mart to offer free menstrual products in all schools
Students in Ontario will have access to free menstrual products this fall after the Doug Ford government partnered with Shoppers Drug Mart to give students equitable access to the essential hygiene item.
The three-year program, announced by Education Minister Stephen Lecce Friday, will see six million sanitary pads distributed to school boards across the province annually, which can then be accessed by students in school washrooms free of charge.
Shoppers Drug Mart will foot the bill for the menstrual products, and any dispensers required in student washrooms, while school boards will be responsible for determining which schools should be prioritized for the products to ensure equitable distribution.
“Through the strong advocacy of young leaders in our schools, it has become extremely clear that menstrual products are a necessity, not a luxury,” Lecce said during the Friday news conference held at a Toronto Shoppers Drug Mart location.
“This agreement will help remove barriers for women and girls by allowing them to access products at school, free of charge. It is another important way that we are helping to build more inclusive schools that empower all girls to have the confidence to succeed.”
Ontario is far from the first province to make menstrual products available to students for free.
Since 2019, the governments of British Columbia and Nova Scotia announced similar programs, while Prince Edward Island began offering the products to school-aged children in 2020.
The need for free period products in Ontario, however, was highlighted by a number of groups -- including the four main education unions, People for Education, the Toronto Youth Cabinet, the Ontario Student Trustees Association and the Ontario Human Rights Commission -- which wrote an open letter to Lecce in March highlighting the impact of inequitable access.
While citing a 2019 report by Plan International Canada, the groups argued that people who can't access menstrual products "are more likely to miss school and work and face higher health risks" the groups argued and said everyone should be able to focus on their education without having to worry about access to tampons, pads and other menstrual products.
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB), which announced its own free menstrual product program in 2019 in partnership with Brands Canada, penned its own letter to Lecce asking for a provincially funded program for all 72 school boards in Ontario.
TDSB Chair Alexander Brown said in some cases menstrual products were being provided to students only upon request "which invades student privacy" and since the products were being donated by charitable organizations the board was left with limited supplies.
Lecce said that the program announced today will cover all 72 school boards in Ontario and aim to build on the existing program developed by the TDSB.
The program will begin with period pads for the initial phase of the three-year program and the government will eventually expand the program to include tampons and other necessary items.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.