Update and expand the Nutrition North program.

What success looks like

More affordable nutritious food for Canadians in the North.

Government's narrative on progress

In Budget 2016, the government increased funding to expand Nutrition North Canada to isolated northern communities. Nutrition North Canada helps alleviate the high cost of food in 121 isolated northern communities by providing a subsidy on perishable nutritious food. To date, the full benefits of Nutrition North Canada, including nutrition education funding, have been expanded to 37 additional isolated northern communities. Under the oversight of the Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board, throughout 2016 the government engaged with Northerners to collect feedback on how to best update the program. In response to the findings from the public engagement, the Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board published the Reflections on the What We Heard Report and hosted a stakeholder meeting with Indigenous organizations, northern retailers and airlines, provincial and territorial governments and other federal government departments in early May 2017. The purpose was to discuss the feedback received during the public engagement and the key areas where many different views as identified by the Advisory Board. Through facilitated group discussions, participants collaborated on ways the program can be more responsive to the needs of Northerners. An Indigenous Working Group was launched at this meeting, including national and regional Indigenous organizations, which was tasked with co-developing options to help Nutrition North Canada work better for Northerners. Co-development work is ongoing, under the oversight of the Advisory Board to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs. As of July 2018, Nutrition North Canada falls under the portfolio of the Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade. The department will continue to work to update and expand the Nutrition North program, in consultation with northern communities. In the November 2018 Fall Economic Statement the government proposed an investment of $62.6 million over five years, and $10.4 million ongoing for the Nutrition North Canada program “to ensure that northern families have access to affordable, healthy food, including local food.” On December 10, 2018, the government announced significant improvements to the Nutrition North Canada program. As of January 1, 2019, these improvements include: a fully revised subsidized foods list, which includes a focus on northern staples and family-friendly items; a new highest-level subsidy rate specifically for milk, frozen fruit, frozen vegetables, infant formula, and infant food; and, an increase to the two current subsidy rates to help further lower the cost of perishable, nutritious food. The announcement included the creation of a new Harvesters Support Grant, and an Inuit-Crown Food Security working group. The Harvesters Support Grant will provide funding to regional governments and Indigenous organizations to support subsistence harvesting in eligible communities. The grant is expected to result in increased access to local country/traditional food, reduce the cost for harvesting activities, and is being co-developed with the NNC Indigenous Working Group and the Inuit-Crown Food Security Working Group. The newly created Inuit-Crown working group will focus on food security and work towards a sustainable food system in Inuit Nunangat. The current Indigenous working group will continue its work ensuring that the unique interests, priorities and circumstances of First Nations and Métis are acknowledged, affirmed, and implemented. In addition, as part of a National Food Policy, Budget 2019 proposes to provide the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency with $15 million, over five years, starting in 2019–20, to establish a Northern Isolated Community Initiatives Fund. This fund will support community-led projects for local and Indigenous food production systems, and is in addition to the funding announced in December.

Note: this is the government's own description, not an independent assessment.