Question Period Note: Nutrition North Canada

• In recent years, the Nutrition North Canada program has expanded considerably from a retail subsidy to a program that addresses food security more broadly through initiatives such as the Harvesters Support Grant and Community Food Programs Fund, which are delivering meaningful results in Indigenous and northern communities.

• To further advance food security and affordability in the North, Budget 2024 proposes to provide:
o $23.2 million in 2024-25 for Nutrition North Canada’s subsidy program to lower the cost of nutritious food and other essential household items; and
o $101.1 million over three years starting in 2024-25 to support the Harvesters Support Grant and Community Food Programs Fund which supports Indigenous communities in implementing culturally appropriate solutions.

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If pressed on Food Security in the North

• In Canada’s North, food prices can be significantly higher than in the rest of the country. Isolation and socioeconomic issues make northerners particularly vulnerable to food security challenges.

• The Government of Canada is continuing to work closely with Indigenous and northern partners and other government departments to identify shared, northern-based solutions for improving food security.
• We believe in supporting Made-In-The North solutions. To that end, since 2019, Nutrition North has transferred over $76 Million to the four Regional Inuit Organizations through Harvester Support Grant and Community Food Programs funding. This includes over $27.8 million to Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated.
• These investments have already helped communities in Inuit Nunangat, as well as other Indigenous communities, purchase equipment for harvesting, hunting, and food storage, which means they are able to share meals prepared with traditional foods and have greater food security.
If pressed on a Whole-of-Government Approach
• Budget 2024 announces the creation of a National School Food Program, which will provide $1 billion over five years to Employment and Social Development Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and Indigenous Services Canada, starting in 2024-25, to work with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to expand access to school food programs.
• Budget 2024 also announced $14.9 million to be provided to CanNor over three years, starting in 2024-25, to renew and expand the Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund to all regions of Inuit Nunangat to support local and Indigenous food production systems, including innovative northern food businesses, which contribute to food security in the North.
• An additional $62.9 million was announced to be provided to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada over three years, starting in 2024-25, to renew and expand the Local Food Infrastructure Fund.