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Yukon First Nations Leaders: Changes Needed for Nutrition North in Territory

Wednesday, 5 December 2018 at 12:50

The communities serviced by Nutrition North in Canada (Photo courtesy of Government Canada)

Old Crow is the sole community serviced by Nutrition North in Yukon.

Kwanlin Dun First Nations Chief Dorris Bill says changes are like  coming to Nutrition North in the Territory after a meeting with Council Yukon Grand Chief Peter Johnston and Federal ministers in Ottawa yesterday.

Nutrition North is a subsidy program that provides Northerners easier access to perishable foods.

Chief Bill says more consultation is needed with Yukon First Nations regarding how these grants are delivered to First Nations communities.

"We did talk about the harvesting subsidy grant that is being proposed  and we asked for Yukon First Nation input into how the grant is delivered and what it should look like."

Grand Chief Peter Johnston was also at the meeting, stating more Yukon First Nation communities are needed to be part of  Nutrition North as well.

"In our Territory, Old Crow would be the only applicable community for the program... communities such as Mayo or Ross River that aren't necessarily on the connective routes for most  transport trucks, they need to be included into the program also to benefit  from subsidized and cheaper product."

Grand Chief Johnston also says the program could include a greater variety of subsidized  food to meet the needs of more Yukon First Nation communities.  

They (ministers)  really isolate a lot of the key foundational foods that our people need such as flour and sugar and other things that are used to cook with.  There also going to include that as some of the possibilities for subsidies."

Nutrition North was founded in 2011 and helps serve subsidized food in all three territories.

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