Representatives from Rio Tinto and Breakfast Club of Canada served breakfast Thursday morning to school children at Ron Brent Elementary school, to celebrate the ongoing success of its partnership in the region.
Rio Tinto has partnered with the Club since 2000, and currently supports 14 school programs across the province of British Columbia. This year at the BC Natural Resources Forum, Rio Tinto announced its renewed partnership with the organization of $450,000 over a three-year period to support breakfast programs in northern B.C. Ron Brent Elementary School has a population of just over 220 students in Kindergarten to Grade 9, and the school breakfast program has a daily attendance of 40-50 students every school morning, serving approximately 6,600 breakfasts per year.
“Rio Tinto is pleased to extend our partnership with Breakfast Club of Canada and to continue our support for this important initiative,” said Gareth Manderson, General Manager of BC Works, “It is making a difference in the daily lives of children across Northern BC and promoting their well-being by ensuring they start the school day with a nutritious breakfast.”
“Rio Tinto continues to provide Breakfast Club with the ability to make a lasting impact in the communities of Northern British Columbia,” said Breakfast Club’s Vice-President of Ontario and Western Canada, Josee Desjardins. “This renewed commitment for funding will help us to build the capacity needed for long term sustainability, providing not only access to breakfast, but also an equal opportunity for success to all students, not only in the classroom, but also in their lives.”
In attendance at the breakfast program this morning were Kevin Dobbin, Manager, Communications and Communities, BC Works, Jennifer Campeau, Senior Advisor Communications and Communities, BC Works, as well as Breakfast Club of Canada employees.
Breakfast Club of Canada is a non-profit organization that provides funding, equipment, training and support to school breakfast programs across the country. The Club is dedicated to ensuring every child starts their day with a nutritious morning meal, in a safe and secure environment. Founded in Quebec in 1994, Breakfast Club of Canada is present in 1,600 schools from coast to coast feeding over 200,000 children every school morning.
Rio Tinto has been operating in British Columbia for over 60 years. With our recent investment in the modernization of the Kitimat smelter, we have secured another 60 years of economic prosperity in northern British Columbia. With industry leading technology and four generations of employee expertise, as well as our hydropower facility at Kemano and the Nechako Reservoir, the Kitimat smelter produces aluminium with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world. Rio Tinto is proud to operate in British Columbia alongside our 1000 employees, community stakeholders and First Nations.
