An Iqaluit resident protests high food prices in the North in 2012. The federal government is calling for project proposals to improve food security in Nunavut and the other territories. (File photo by David Murphy)
Feds call for pitches to improve access to food in the North
Up to 3 projects could get $1 million to get started
If you have an idea for how to address hunger and malnutrition in the North, the federal government says it wants to hear it.
The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency recently announced the launch of its Northern Food Innovation Challenge, which aims to improve food security in the three territories.
Finalists in the challenge could receive up to $1 million to help put their projects into action, CanNor said in a recent news release.
Last year, Statistics Canada reported 57 per cent of Nunavut’s population was food insecure, based on data from 2017-18. That was more than four times the national average of 12.7 per cent.
Being food insecure means not having access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that allows for an active and healthy life, as defined by the Nunavut Food Security Coalition.
The coalition’s website lists some causes of food insecurity in the North:
- Large family sizes
- High costs and low income
- Transportation delays
- Changing access to hunting grounds and changing wildlife stocks
- Environmental contaminants and poor wildlife health
- Unhealthy store-bought food
Women, children and Indigenous peoples are most vulnerable to food insecurity, the CanNor release states.
The StatCan study showed 52.3 per cent of single-mother households with children under 18 in Nunavut were severely food insecure. The agency did present that number with caution because of a small sample size in the territory.
Not-for-profit associations, Indigenous and municipal governments, small businesses and other organizations can submit project proposals until March 31.
In June, about eight applicants will receive funding of up to $250,000 to launch a prototype of their project.
Then up to three finalists will be selected, who will be eligible to receive up to $1 million to put their projects into action in at least one of the territories.
A workshop will be held in the summer or fall to facilitate the exchange of ideas between applicants, experts and other interested parties, CanNor said.
The challenge is part of the $15-million Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund, a five-year program that supports community-led projects for Indigenous food production systems like greenhouses, community freezers and skills training.
The 6 causes listed are certainly contributing factors ….. however, there are more factors that are equally (if not more important?) and these always seem to be left out of the discussion:
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Poor decision-making/low food skills —- e.g. some who always buy more expensive convenience foods instead of cheaper basic ingredients; also, some who eat out in restaurants frequently
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Too much household income spent on tobacco, booze and other substances, and bingo (some homes — not all homes) and then they “don’t have enough for food”
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It would be very useful if someone would do an audit or study to find out exactly where the average Nunavut household’s money goes — including how much on tobacco, convenience foods, etc.
Is food in the north expensive? It depends. Yes, pre-packaged “heat and serve” food is very expensive, but essentials like eggs and milk are usually cheaper here than down south. Just look in the shopping cart of anyone at the Northern on Child Tax day, you’ll see tons of pizzas, Chinese noodles, pop — all prepackaged food. While the veggies (which are actually not that expensive) sit and rot on the shelf.
With a bag of flour, with meat, with vegetables, you can cook and bake in north for not much more than down south. Now lets look at where unfortunately many people are choose to their money: Cigarettes (25/pack), Pop (30 for 12 pack), Liquir (100/ 12 oz mickey), Card games, Frozen Pizza (15 bucks) and it is clear that that money will disappear quickly. What I do know is that I can make one hell of a meal for my family of four for under twenty bucks, while people are paying 20 bucks for a single roll of sushi off buy and sell.
One hell of meal for four people for $20, I’d love to see this meal. Asparagus alone is $20, peppers $4, 1 steak that isn’t a thin fast fry is $7-10. Yes milk and eggs are subsidized but don’t try to kid people with the fact the prices aren’t high.
Here’s my pitch for the $1,000,000.
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It’s called, Let’s Swap Kids!
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This is how it works so we can have plenty of money to buy all the food our families need.
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Let’s say we both live in a community in Zone 4, we are unemployed because there are no jobs, and we each have a spouce and 3 kids. We each receive $1,859 per month for food and general expenses from Income Assistance. It does not go very far because food is expensive at the store.
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Now watch this.
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We each “give” our kids to Family Services because we cannot afford to feed them. We each then go to Family Services and offer to foster 3 kids. I get your 3 kids and you get my 3 kids. Because we live in Zone 4 we receive a “per diem” of $65.00 per child per day! That comes to $5,850 per month for each family!
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As it says on the Family Services web page:
“Foster Care payments are meant to support children who are placed in care, and to assist with the daily costs associated with child rearing, including food, clothing, personal care, general household costs, etc. Daily rates differ by community and reflect the varying levels of living costs across the territory.”
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But there’s a “catch” in the Foster Care program. Now, our 3 kids sleep in 1 bedroom in our house and your 3 kids also sleep in 1 bedroom, in your house. But the Foster Care program requires seperate bedrooms if the kids are past a certain age.
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This is where the $1,000,000 comes in.
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We each use some of that money to buy some lumber and other building material. We each knock out one wall of our house and extend the house, adding two additional bedrooms.
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That satisfies the Foster Care requirement for seperate bedrooms.
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The $1,000,000 will pay for a lot of building materials, so lots of families can do this and solve their food problems.
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Finally, we each repay the money we used for construction materials at $500 per month. That way there’s more money for others to also use the “Let’s ‘Swap Kids” program to solve their food problems.
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The kids still live near us and we can see them every day.
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Ottwa, please send the $1,000,000 right away so we can get started. You won’t hear a better idea.
This can’t be legal, can it? If it is, we’re doing it. If it’s not, maybe we’ll do it anyway. Thanks for the idea.
I like to see the person’s income who says the healthy food is about the same price as down south as it totally isn’t!! I travelled to a community in Nunavut and 1 steak alone frozen was $30.00, so please get your facts straight