ROW80-1 - 01/25 - Distracted by Hunger
January 25, 2015
Not my hunger, but that of many of Canada's Inuit. There have been several reports in the news lately on the horrendous prices for food in Canada's far north - like this video. Kellogg's Protein shakes - 3/$19, 5 kg flour - $25. One place had 7-up, case of 12 cans for $48. These are often subsidized prices too. There is a government program to try to help this, by throwing money at the problem, but it is ineffective and understaffed - of course - and the northern stores are profiting from it. So, some Canadians slowly starve, some fill up on junk food, with lots of sugar, which kills the hunger but is unhealthy.
A woman in BC started a Facebook group a few months ago, called Helping Our Northern Neighbours,with a simple purpose - to match southern donors with northern families. We buy the food, and pay the shipping, they get it and eat it. Just simple food, the basics, but if they ask for Minute Rice (cheaper to cook with high fuel prices) we send it. No brown rice or quinoa or nutritional lectures - they already have Health Centres doing that. The main group has almost 12,000 members now, some just to post and comment but many with families. Some are even from the US. I've already made a number of friends through this - across the country and here in Ottawa. Canadians who just want to help our less fortunate neighbours. We also help each other with tips and tricks and funding, and are learning a lot about the challenges and issues of living in the North. There is a more political group too, Feeding Our Families, that is running protests and lobbying. This issue will hopefully may bump up a bit in the government's agenda.
So - I joined a few days ago and have been busy researching shipping choices, and food prices, and taking part in a myriad of discussions. Life got in the way of my writing goals. I have my name in for someone in Baker Lake, and will email my orders in to a store in Arviat - about halfway up the west side of Hudson's Bay. Saves me a lot of shipping costs that way, and they can get perishables in by plane the same day. It will likely be a week or tow before I get my peeps, so hopefully I can refocus on editing.
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