Break-ins at Iqaluit food centre called ‘disappointing, hurtful’
Qajuqturvik increases security after two overnight incidents; RCMP investigating
Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre co-executive directors Joseph Murdoch-Flowers and Francine Doucet are disappointed and upset after two recent overnight break-ins during which some of their country food was stolen. (Photo by Arty Sarkisian)
Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre in Iqaluit is increasing security after two overnight break-ins this summer where food was stolen from the centre’s storage.
Both break-ins happened after hours, on July 21 and again on Aug. 14, at the centre’s building close to St. Jude’s Anglican Cathedral.
“Stealing from Qajuqturvik is really stealing from the community,” said Joseph Murdoch-Flowers, co-executive director for the centre.
Caribou, fish, chicken, bread and hamburger patties were stolen during the two incidents.
Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre prepares between 300 and 500 meals daily Monday to Friday and distributes country food on a pay-what-you-can basis in order to battle food insecurity in Iqaluit. (Photo by Arty Sarkisian)
Nunavut RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Maj. Pauline Melanson confirmed the two break-ins are being investigated.
The exact amount of food taken and whether the break-ins are related is yet to be determined while the investigation is underway, said food centre co-executive director Francine Doucet.
Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre “is a hub of food culture in Iqaluit,” according to its website. It prepares between 300 and 500 free meals daily Monday to Friday.
Every other Thursday, anyone in Iqaluit can come to Qajuqturvik to pick up an Inuliqtait Food Box, which contains three to five different types of country food purchased from hunters across the territory.
The value of that box is $125, but the program works on a pay-what-you-can basis and accepts anything starting at $12.50 per box.
After the first break-in on July 21, the centre had to stop the country food box program for about a week to “take stock of what happened,” said Doucet.
“It’s very disappointing and it’s hurtful,” she said, adding the person could have purchased that food for a very low price.
The incidents forced the centre to increase its security, “which takes away from the resources that we could be putting into providing more food access” for people in the community, said Murdoch-Flowers.
“It’s not about taking country food from us, it’s about taking away country food from those members in our community who really want it and might otherwise not be able to get it,” he said.
He and Doucet ask that anyone with information that might help identify the person should contact them or the RCMP.
blame our prime minister of Canada in 9 yrs he destroyed the country and made poverty spread like wildfire. he want to tax the air we breathe ! so unfortunate this happened but what can one do when they need to survive in the most expensive territory in the whole
continent .
Blame the Prime Minister for someone choosing to steal food rather than pay for a food box, which can be purchased for 10% of the actual cost?
Why are ppl not more vocal when it comes to things like this? Clearly the community knows it’s all related to alcohol and drugs but no one speaks up……
Buddy in the yellow , looks like a guru /swami
I think the thief stole his yellow hat and his curious monkey named George.
He is one of the best human beings ever. Shut your mouth and grow up!!!
That’s kind of you to say, thank you very much. I also have to say, I’m having a good hard laugh at these comments.
More and more reasons to send these useless degenerates to the prisons down south where they won’t be anything but a bitch for bubba.
The pressure is on Canadians for more resources, provide for their communities. Feds would be more helpful if they weren’t spending 350 Million per year to house the the new illegals in 4 star hotels in Canada. This PM is really screwed up with his love for humanity of Canadians, ask yourselves, do we really need Liberal Party for the next two decades in Canada? do we need crackpots? Everything this PM loves is legalized, even a a though of legalized hard drugs on the horizon?
too many break in in iqaluit, the kfc, Napa is there any other ? last week the night some one try to break in at kfc, i call the cop that unfortunitly took way too long to get there ,as i learn from the kfc manager today.
we need… the BATMAN lets ask the mayor at city hall to call him
The North needs a good alarm company.. The technology is there but for some reason seems only coop and northern use alarms cause they work..wake up people get alarms
People should get the “Beware of dog “sign posted on thheir doors;
it goes against our culture to let other suffer from hunger , when we our selves have some to give. maybe not alot but some. its insane to think how bad it is now in the north. i urge inuit to not VOTE NDP or Liberal. these parties have done less for us and we have more hungry people than ever.. why?
cause our government sends billions to ukraine ? or palistine … we dont take care of our own in this country …and im sick of it.
MAKE SURE to write to our useless MP and tell her to open her eyes at the state of Nunavut. Nunavut has the richest lands in Canada… no reason why we should all be poor.