Feds to give provinces $2B to bolster safe reopening of schools this fall

 

OTTAWA -- The federal government is giving $2 billion more to provinces and territories to help them ensure kids can safely go back to school next month.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is to make the announcement Wednesday at a school in Toronto.

The money is on top of the $19 billion Trudeau has already promised provinces and territories to help them cope with the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their economies and health care systems.

He informed premiers of his plan during a conference call Tuesday afternoon.

Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details before the announcement, confirmed some details to The Canadian Press.

The funding is to be allocated based on each province and territory's number of students.

Education is a provincial jurisdiction and the sources said Trudeau will fully respect that. Provinces and territories will be able to spend the money as they see fit to bolster their efforts to ensure schools can reopen this fall as safely as possible.

Schools have been shut down across the country since COVID-19 started sweeping across the country in mid-March.