Iqaluit protesters rail against high grocery prices in Nunavut
NTI president calls on Inuit leadership to take lead on food security
Kathy Okpik, right, leads a cheer for affordable food prices during a protest in front of Northmart in Iqaluit on Saturday. (Photo by Daron Letts)
Food security advocate Kathy Okpik led 30 Iqalummiut in a loud protest against high grocery prices in front of Northmart on Saturday.
Despite the retail backdrop, the federal government was the intended audience for their message.
Speaking into a megaphone and introduced by its siren wail, Okpik called on the federal government to accelerate its ongoing examination into food subsidies in the territory.
Becca Gesch, centre, holds a sign that reads “food security is a human right.” That sentiment was echoed by others throughout a protest in Iqaluit on Saturday. (Photo by Daron Letts)
The federal government announced an external review of a portion of its Nutrition North subsidy program in October 2024. That review is being led by former Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Aluki Kotierk. Nutrition North was launched in 2011 as a way to make nutritious food more affordable in the North.
“We really need to know about the Nutrition North study that’s happening,” she said. “The subsidy needs to go directly to the people and not to big corporations where they control the prices.”
Others in the crowd denounced what they called price gouging in the wake of initiatives aimed at reducing costs for Inuit households, such as the federal government’s Inuit Child First Initiative.
Its universal food voucher program used to give Inuit families $500 a month for every child they had under the age of 18, but was scrapped in favour of a plan that gives out vouchers based on individual families’ applications.
The Inuit Child First Initiative, which expired at the end of March, got a temporary extension of its funding earlier this year, but its long-term future has been uncertain since the end of the federal government’s previous fiscal year.
“We need to look at our consumer affairs division in our government of Nunavut,” said Okpik, a former Government of Nunavut deputy minister. She pointed to the many households reaching out for donations of food and leftovers on Facebook.
“They have nowhere else to turn to but social media,” she said.
If Iqaluit households are struggling, people in remote communities are having an even harder time, she added.
Dozens of drivers gave a toot of their horns as they passed the spectacle along Queen Elizabeth Way.
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. President Jeremy Tunraluk, who recently returned from the organization’s annual general meeting in Rankin Inlet on Thursday where the issue of food security was discussed, called on Inuit to take the lead away from the federal government.
“We, as Inuit leaders, need to take charge,” he said, speaking into a megaphone. “Take the lead to make sure that we’re not only voicing our concerns, but making sure that we’re actually delivering programs for food security.”
Becca Gesch, carrying a handmade sign reading “food security is a human right,” called on the federal government to “decolonize food security”.
“We need to make sure that Indigenous are fed and have access to food and healthcare and affordable everything,” Gesch said.
Several candidates in Monday’s territorial election spoke in support of the protest, including Adam Arreak Lightstone, running in the Iqaluit-Manirajak constituency, Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster in Iqaluit-Sinaa, Tatanniq Lucie Idlout in Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu, and George Hickes and Malaiya Lucassie in Iqaluit-Tasiluk.
Nunatsiaq News reached out to Northmart communications director by email, but did not receive a response Saturday afternoon.
Where is all the money going that Northwestern company receives to keep prices down? Every year food gets higher and higher? What is the government doing? Where are the audits? Where is the transparency? I’m sick of living pay check to pay check shopping at the only store in town, cargo is so expensive now CONartistNorth, we used to buy food from YK, I skip meals now so my wife and kids can eat, I eat their leftovers after supper, then go sit in the washroom and cry for a minute then man up. So sick of this, what have I done to deserve this, I pay taxes like everyone else!!
It’s not just Northern, it’s happening all over Canada. All the food stores are expensive. Why? Oh let’s see.
1) Corporate carbon tax is still on all businesses, farmers, transportation, manufacturing, etc. All these key industries are passing the cost of the carbon tax onto you and I to recoup their operating losses. Businesses also don’t receive any carbon tax refunds like consumers did previously, and Carney’s con game of “suspending the consumer carbon tax” is nothing but a Liberal shell game!
2) Inflationary spending over the past 10 years by this same Liberal government, supported by the NDP. The federal debt has nearly doubled in the last 10 years, rising from $602.4 billion in 2012/2013 to $1,173 billion in the 2022/2023 fiscal year! Don’t count on Laurie holding the Liberals accountable, because she’s in her 2nd term and won’t jeopardize her pension!
Nunavut people voted NDP/Liberals back in! why complain now?
The blame game isn’t helpful. Its sickening that there IS even a problem of affordable food. I live in AB and was oblivious to this problem until recently.
I am making trips to the grocery stores in Igloolik, NV while my husband is stationed here. Trips to the grocery store are grossly high.
Some items are protected by the Nutrition North Savings (NNC), while some items are not. For example, the ingredients for oatmeal $16.55 ($ 7.55 subsidized), but the coconut, which also adds nutritional content is $18.99 (and not subsidized). Dairy and Bread are heavily subsidized however, gluten or dairy free options are not. Same with sugar substitutes, not subsidized. Its a real problem and I applaud residents for speaking out.
Sugary drinks are multiculturalism tools to make everyone dependent on health Canada. It’s a big business
There is an Igloolik in Nevada? That’s awesome… there’s also one in Nunavut
It was the PC Party under MP L. Aglukkaq who last studied the NN Program and implemented changes we see today. Ever since the North was created in 1960s by Feds, business took advantage of the federal and then territorial government by charging excessively huge fees routinely do anything up here. The question is how to get the herding cats back in the bag.
10 years of liberal NDP
Don’t worry. I’m sure that Ms. Kotierk will solve the nutrition North puzzle and will complete that game changing report that will bring food security to us. ( Sarcasm….).
Make Iqaluit Great Again, sure needs it, scraping from the bottom of the barrel.
Isn’t the formal NTI president reviewing the nutrition north program? We never hear anything about it, should we be surprised? It was the same way when she was at NTI there were no communication then and today.
Prices are high everywhere. Jusg paid $19 for a watermelon in vancouver. Keep voting NDP amd liberal.
You clearly don’t know anything about the north if you think that Nunavummiut will agree that $19 is a “high” price for watermelon. That’s a steal by northern standards. This is not a Liberal or NDP-specific issue; grocery prices were sky-high under Conservative governments as well.
Under 20 dollars for a watermelon is a steal, I’d be shouting “start the car”. When conservatives were in parliament- turkey in north Baffin was 200.00 for a small one. Over 80.00 for watermelon and tasted sour but it wasn’t rotten rotten- by the time it was, might be 50% off. It was next to impossible to buy dairy products during his term as well – felt rich being able to add milk (not powdered) into tea or coffee.
Since the Co-op grocery stores aren’t focused on profit,shouldn’t their prices be materially lower than Northmart prices?
Point well made.
COOPs are very transparent too.
True but due to bad management and bad ordering, plus systems that are not accurate plus lack of local workforce so they need to import workers, every worker you see from the south needs housing, food, vacation ect ect so in the end it all comes out in our prices, plus nothing like solar being implemented,, If coops were truly independent then ACL’s head office would be in Nunavut just saying!
Cool idea to ‘decolonize food security’, but let’s not forget: you can’t sell a $25 sandwich and call it a full-plate answer. If hunger in the North means people are skipping meals so others can eat, then what we really need is more volume of nutritious food. Let’s shift the conversation from symbolic rhetoric to full shopping carts, and start swapping the chips and pop cargo to meat, poultry and produce.
What does ‘decolonize food security’ mean?
Buzz words give dopamine hits?
Buzzwords get journalists attention, more like it
First Nation colonizers who chased Inuit on to the tundra ?
Alaskan colonizers who killed tunerks and other people ?
European colonizers who gave us stores, schools, medical services, air travel, and
housing ?
If people want to live a traditional hard life, go for it, no one stopping you.
Maybe make better decisions at the store…
Loaf of bread – $6
200g of meat – $10
Head of lettuce – $6
Sliced cheese – $10
Jar of mayo – $10
You can make 8 sandwiches with that… which equals $5 a sandwich.
How the heck am I making poutine and smokes from that? Shake your head…
“Make your own”….obviously a GN employee, or temp from elsewhere who have a habit of belittling Nunavummiut. …you’ve got money or work for NWC, NWC and ACL their prices never went back from JP gouging.
Hey maybe it isn’t “gouging”? GN added 23% to min wage in the last 2 years, food costs going up everywhere, CN Cargo prices higher and higher. Claims of gouging is just a lazy opinion.
One of the best articles, prompt & practical, so far in Nunatsiaq news.
Makes you wonder what the experts & advisors have been doing ?
The word “decolonization” has effectively lost its meaning in Nunavut. You might as well say blipzog. Today, it is used a a catchall word to invoke white guilt.
de·col·o·ni·za·tion /dēˌkälənəˈzāSHən,dēˌkäləˌnīˈzāSHən/
noun: decolonization; noun: decolonisation
1.the action or process of a state withdrawing from a former colony, leaving it independent.
2.the process of freeing an institution, sphere of activity, etc. from the cultural or social effects of colonization.
Canada and Nunavut was colonized by Britain. Britain has withdrawn from Canada and Nunavut. At a national level, we are decolonized.
Canada administered Nunavut as a northern colony. Canada has withdrawn from administering most government functions in Nunavut. In 2027, we will be further decolonized with respect to Lands and Waters. At a sub-national level, we are mainly decolonized.
With respect to food security, the Government of Nunavut has the resources, power and authority to end hunger in Nunavut tomorrow, if it so wished. That the GN has not done that (by say, doubling or tripling SA payments and making cuts elsewhere) is a political decision. Therefore, saying we need to decolonize to address food security is nonsense.
As part of colonization, Nunavut was incorporated into Canada’s and indeed the worldwide food distribution system. This includes food producers who grow food for money, food wholesalers who gather food and sell for money, food retailers who buy and resell food for money, and shipping and airline companies who move food for money. Previous to this, we fed ourselves without money or starved.
For us to decolonize the way we feed ourselves, we would have to withdraw from the global food distribution system, and stop selling country food.
Either of those ideas are remotely helpful in addressing our food needs, or the monetary greed of our young hunters, and would probably have the opposite result.
No, you do not get to invoke decolonization to end food insecurity. If you do, it is simply quick confirmation you do not know what you are talking about.
NTI has held up the protection of main food source for Nunavut Inuit. Caribou calving ground protection is nonexistent for this Inuit leadership and he wants to take control. Absolutely not!
nunavut is so co-dependent on the FED. and now that ottawa has more pressing issues to deal with like tariffs then maybe nunavut will have to do something for selves. its a welfare state anyways. how about privatizing the grocery stores. how about community green houses? or the GN buying their own jets for food cargo. how about using some of the money spent running the numerous NPO’s in this territory to buy and distribute food?
How about funding and supporting hunters to hunt and giving free country food rather then store bought highly processed expensive meats. As for growing vegetables yes for some mostly no fir inumariit . There’s enuff vitamins in fish eggs tuktuit and other game. Not all people rely on welfare and to imply it’s a welfare state is simply racist.
Also residents of Canada rely on welfare to be able to survive your post implies only Nunavut rely on the feds..how about getting together as a nation to help one another instead of shaming and blaming 🙄
Hunting is not sustainable, however you want to paint it. Your ancestors hunt what they need and share. Now people hunt for money, rightfully so but also wasteful. I have seen hundreds of arctic char dead in the water because people cannot load it into their boats or unattended nets. Farming is probably more sustainable, bad for the environment, blah blah blah but it also teaches responsibility and sustainable. If the sapmi in the scandinavian countries can do it, why not canadian inuit?
Yes, food is expensive in Nunavut, especially if you are homeless. That’s because when you are homeless you don’t have a place to cook food or to store food. So you have to buy food-ready-to-eat, which is much more expensive than buying groceries and making your own meals.
But if you have a home you can make sandwiches, as said above. You can buy hamburger meat and cook spagetti. You can cook oatmeal, rather than eating cereal from a box, which is mostly sugar.
The relatively low cost, high value food is usually around the edges of the grocery store. When you buy the packages in the middle you are mostly paying for someone else to have done the cooking or other preparing. It generally has lots of salt, sugar and fat, to make it addictive.
Kathy, you were Deputy Minister of Education. Why is food preparation not taught in school? Learn to prepare your own food and trade your time for money.
Maybe it is taught… but students and parents would have to make an attempt and maintaining attendance and then adhering to their foreigner teachers
I’m not sure if it’s been fully considered, but a significant factor behind the rising food prices is the increased cost of Canadian Cargo rates. When those cargo rates went up, grocery prices followed. We should also take a closer look at these shipping costs and explore ways to negotiate lower rates for grocery shipments — particularly those outside the Nutrition North program.
Is this a food price protest or a surrender to the government to feed you forever? Oh, wait, look at the smooth wording “cost-of-living relief” for a permanent National School Food Program. The government to manage kids’ school meals, and the provinces and territories reduced to a sub-office. Seems on track to take the parents out of the family. No longer do the father/mother know best for a child, but only the government.
The government didn’t cut the mountains of taxes to keep wads of money in pockets. Or put shovels in the ground, creating jobs so parents and young people can feed themselves and their kids? But just believe and nothing else; it’s all the orange man’s fault.
Did you hear any wannabe MLA talk about creating jobs, jobs, jobs or will push the feds hard to put shovels in the ground. Let the oil flow? Instead, wasn’t it the same old reliance on government for everything? And to sit back to watch food prices skyrocket in February.
With the Feds feeding kids, it’s their menu. They are in control. So it won’t be long when school students are told how meat is bad and hard on nature. Thus, to save the planet, kids will be fed lab-grown meat and chemical foods. Meat will be banned like gas powered cars.
Always a pleasure to read your posts, MF
When you give the government the power to feed you, you also give them the power to starve you.
Food prices are high because of the environment, tariffs, higher costs to transport, the list goes on. It ain’t just Nunavut, Canada, U.S., and other countries feel it too. Instead of pointing fingers, keep updated on current affairs.
WRONG! It’s because of greedy human made reasons and of course the total Liberal NDP destruction of Canada. Why don’t YOU keep up to date on current affairs.
Food prices are higher due to factors like the lingering effects of climate-related supply chain disruptions, which have impacted crop yields and animal feed, leading to increased costs for beef and coffee. Other contributing factors include rising labour costs, which affect production and retail, and seasonal price fluctuations for certain items, like fresh vegetables.
Factors contributing to higher prices
Climate change and weather events: Extreme weather has impacted harvests in major agricultural regions, leading to lower yields and higher prices for some food products. For example, droughts affected grain crops, and heat waves impacted grazing land for cattle, forcing farmers to buy more expensive feed.
Supply chain disruptions: Weather events have caused supply chain disruptions, increasing costs for both producers and consumers.
Labour costs: Increases in the cost of labour for planting, harvesting, processing, and stocking shelves contribute to the final price of food.
Lower supply of specific items: Prices for certain items have risen due to a decrease in their supply. For instance, a recent reduction in beef and coffee supply has led to higher prices for these products.
Seasonal fluctuations: Prices can also increase seasonally. For example, as the growing season for certain vegetables ends, their prices may rise due to lower supply.
Impact on prices
Grocery prices are increasing: As of September, grocery prices rose by 4% year-over-year, a faster rate than the 3.5% increase in August.
Specific products are more expensive: Canadians are paying more for certain products, including fresh vegetables and sugar.
Long-term trends: While inflation slowed in 2024, some experts predict that overall food prices could continue to rise in 2025.
I do daily. That’s how I know how the food prices are affected. Check out all the news outlets from your phone or cpu. And apologise after.
I worked in northern retail management for many years and would love to sit with the government or public. Hearings and explain how much money one of the two major companies is actually taking from communities and profiting each year even after all expenses. I actually couldn’t in good conscience continue to serve the people as I couldn’t in my mind justify some of the prices. I really should be able to give direct knowledge instead of the government believing head offices in Winnipeg
Sometimes when I go to quickstop for a poutine, the mother in front of me buys all the pre heated food, watching the cashier, I see the amount going over 200 dollars, now tell me now that that parent could of buy so much more nutritious food other then quickstop food.
Horrible budgeting skills is a separate issue but an epidemic in nunavut none the lest
Rev 6:6 says one day’s wages will be required to make one loaf of bread. Prices will be then unafforable and not doable to the unmarked. The day is fast approaching.