It was heartening to watch and listen to the protestors in Iqaluit this week, fighting to send the government a message about the state of food in the North. Food insecurity in northern Canada has been a major topic for quite some time now, but that has not stopped the Harper government from totally ignoring the crisis in the North. I have spoken up on this issue in the past, but it remains on my mind constantly, and with the new stories I read about each week, it saddens me to see this issue continue with no concrete action.
From the high cost of food, to the lack of proper nutrition, it is troubling to see no concrete action taken by the Harper government to address this issue. The government does not seem to understand the issues that are happening with the Nutrition North program, and the inadequate management and lack of accountability. While the program does attempt to lower the cost of food, it leaves retailers with healthy profit margins and the food is not always in good condition. What’s worse, most of the food items that are available are not very nutritious, and are full of sugar and other items that can cause health issues when consumed outside of a regular balanced diet.
This, coupled with the decline in wild game and other wild meat which make up an important part of northerners diet, has drastically altered the way of life for many and left many in despair. We are being attacked on all angles towards the different types of food we consume, and left with expensive, unhealthy choices with which there is no alternative.
I was especially saddened to hear about the high level of expired food being sold in supermarkets across the Territories and throughout northern Canada. Some food retailers who are not properly regulated and hold a monopoly for food in isolated communities are openly taking advantage of local residents by continuing to sell expired food. Some of it has been expired for months and is a hazard to people’s health, especially young and developing children, and the elderly.
Food is a primary necessity for all Canadians. It is something with which our communities and citizens cannot thrive without a stable supply and adequate nutrition. We should not have to raise our children on expired foods that carry no nutritious values, and we should not be held hostage to massively inflated food prices. These are issues that the Harper government and their Northern Affairs Minister have swept under the rug. If they are actually committed to strengthening the North, it starts with strengthening the people who live in the region, and ensuring they have access to affordable and nutritious food.
The Auditor General of Canada is currently undertaking an audit of the Nutrition North program, and I sincerely hope that any and all deficiencies identified within the program will be quickly addressed by the government. The important thing to remember is that we already know of many of the problems that need to be addressed, so the government should not wait until the audit report is released this fall for them to take action.
I encourage you to email, call, and write me with your stories about food insecurity. Over the coming months I will be travelling across the North to meet with individuals affected by Nutrition North’s shortfalls and I believe we can hold this government to account while informing other Canadians about the lack of nutritious and secure food in northern Canada.
Yvonne Jones, MP Labrador
Yvonne Jones is the Liberal critic for Northern Affairs, the Arctic Council, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), ACOA, and Search and Rescue. She is the Member of Parliament for Labrador.