Ottawa names advisors for new food scheme

The federal government announced on Nov. 25 the names of six people who will sit on a seven-member external advisory board set up to provide the federal government with advice on its new Nutrition North Canada food subsidy program.

The six members are:

• Wilfred Wilcox of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Wilcox is a former mayor, hamlet councillor and board member for numerous organizations, including Nunasi Corp. and Kitikmeot Corp.

• Nellie Cournoyea of Inuvik, Northwest Territories. A former premier of the NWT, Cournoyea is chair and CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corp.

• Marie-Josée Gauthier of Kuujjuaq, Nunavik. Gauthier is a nutritionist with the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services.

• Steve McDougall of the Garden Hill First Nation, Manitoba. Hill is now executive director of the Garden Hill First Nation.

• Katherin Nukon of Old Crow, Yukon. Nukon is a council member of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation.

• Michele Wood of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador. Wood is a health researcher with the Nunatsiavut government.

The name of the seventh member, Elizabeth Copland of Whale Cove, who will serve as chair of the committee, was announced this past May 21.

Danielle Medina of Montreal, who operates a food consulting and evaluation firm, will provide technical support to the committee.

The advisory board is supposed to provide the minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada with advice on the operation of the Nutrition North program, which will replace the food mail program as of April 1, 2011.