Canada expands Nutrition North program

The Canadian government has announced measures to help improve Northerners’ access to quality and nutritious food.

Starting Oct. 1, 2016, the Nutrition North Canada (NNC) program will be expanded to an additional 37 isolated northern communities. This expansion is the result of updates to the community eligibility criteria, and is part of the Budget 2016 commitment to provide an additional $64.5 million to the NNC program over five years beginning in 2016/17, and $13.8 million per year ongoing starting in 2021.

“The Government of Canada is committed to listening to Northern families to understand what they need to help feed their families,” says Carolyn Bennett, Canada’s Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs. “This is why we are expanding Nutrition North Canada to include 37 additional isolated communities. These changes will help more families to have access to affordable and nutritious food.”‎‎

This announcement was made in Inuvik, NWT, at the Inuvik Community Greenhouse, before a roundtable discussion with Northern, Inuit and First Nations leaders on food security in the North.

“The Nutrition North Canada program plays a significant role in helping Canada’s isolated Northern communities have access to nutritious and affordable food, says Jane Philpott, Canada’s Minister of Health. “We look forward to working with Indigenous and Northern Affairs on updates and the expansion of this program.”