Federal government renews funding to support northern food sector
$15 million over three years will help ‘meet communities where they at’ in food security, says president of CanNor
Northern Affairs Minister Gary Anandasangaree, centre, tours the Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre in Iqaluit Wednesday with its co-executive director Joseph Murdoch-Flowers and board president Jessie Hale. (Photo by Arty Sarkisian)
The federal government has renewed its funding for the Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund, with $15 million over three years being directed to support food security initiatives in Inuit Nunangat.
“The fund will support projects and organizations that build a local capacity, food resiliency, and culturally relevant food systems,” Northern Affairs Minister Gary Anandasangaree said.
He made the announcement Wednesday at the Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre in Iqaluit, which has been one of the recipients of the funding in the past.
Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and Jeremy Tunraluk, president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., attended the event with food centre president Jessie Hale and co-executive directors Joseph Murdoch-Flowers and Francine Doucet.
Previously, the fund got $15 million for food projects in the three territories over five years between 2019 and 2024. This time, the money is a similar amount but will be invested over three years.
Among the three regions of Inuit Nunangat, Nunavut will receive $9 million, Nunavik is set to get just over $4 million and Nunatsiavut will get just under $1.8 million.
The goal is to “meet communities where they at,” said Jimi Onalik, president of Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, adding it’s local agencies that will administer the money based on local needs.
The funding has been crucial for the programs Qajuqturvik food centre runs and helps “keep the doors open and feed over 300 community members every day,” Hale said.
After the announcement, Anandasangaree toured the food centre and the country food store next to it.
Not that anything the current federal or territorial government does would help improve society here or anywhere, but, $15,000,00 over three years equates to $100 / year for each resident of Nunavut. That’s $2 per week
The announcement and distribution of the funds will cost $15,000,000 over three years, so, in fact, $30,000,000 wasted
Tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg of wanton waste
It’s not meant for every resident. It’s meant for the ones in public housing, getting social assistance, Canada Child Benefit, Inuit Child First, and GST Rebate funding.
Not everyone NEEDS this subsidy, but everyone is welcome to it, if you don’t need it, don’t go and that 2 dollars will become 4…8..12 and so on
Thanks , Si. Please spend your $12 per week wisely; ‘ll cost $50 to generate that $12
Not to knock programs like this per se, bit it’s just that the wastage by all levels of government is atrocious. This is just such a classic example, and easy to break down as such a raging example of blatant wastage and corruption.
But it’s no different whether we are evaluating billion dollar programs or expanding the civil service. Typically, sixty cents of every dollar spent by any level of government is pure, pure waste.
Ask hard working small-business owners, farmers or hotel housekeepers how that sits with them. They go to work every day to generate your $12 per week.
I guess “S” isn’t happy with the fundings. It sure helps the low paid workers and single parents in this over priced Nunavut.
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Except for maybe north baffin area cost of living in the cities down south is almost the same as nunavut nowadays