KRG chair defends food voucher hand-out

The Kativik Regional Government’s launch of a portable food bank program will help some of Nunavik’s poorest residents make ends meet, when it begins handing out $1.3 million in food vouchers this month.

Johnny Adams, KRG chair, defended the program against skeptics who have suggested to him that the food vouchers will create a culture of dependency, instead of motivating people to seek employment.

“We hear a lot about people having a hard time making ends meet with [social] assistance,” Adams said. “Anything we can do to help, we will.”

The program was kickstarted by the Katutjiniq economic association, an umbrella group of Nunavik groups, including Makivik Corp., which will chip in $300,000.

Adams said many details haven’t been sorted out yet, such as how the vouchers will be distributed.

But he said the vouchers will help at least 1,350 residents, including elders and children, and won’t necessarily target Nunavimmiut who are unemployed, or receiving social assistance.

“You don’t necessarily need to be on welfare to need assistance,” Adams said.

He added that the program, set to begin in mid-October, will not allow recipients to buy any junk food or cigarettes.