Choosing between medication and groceries is no choice at all. Yet, residents in northern communities across the country make unthinkable decisions like this every day as they live with disproportionately high rates of food insecurity. 

In Nunavut, 79 per cent of children live in food insecure households. In northern Ontario and northern Manitoba, 70 per cent of on-reserve households face food insecurity. Over 50 per cent of the population of the three Northern territories are Indigenous. When compared to the rest of Canada, where a much lower average of 12.7 per cent of households are food insecure, this glaring disparity makes the need for urgent action impossible to ignore. 

That’s why PSAC launched the Illunnata campaign this year, which means "all of us” in Inuktitut. Because all of us deserve food security.  

The causes of northern food insecurity are numerous and complex, but the high cost of food is a major factor. A box of rice in Toronto costs $6.99, but the same box in Iqaluit costs $10.19 (after the $6.27 subsidy). A carton of juice costs $4.49 in Toronto, but three times as much in Iqaluit ($12.79 after a $1.94 subsidy). 

Food insecurity is compounded by other factors, including the lasting effects of colonialism, climate change, household financial hardship, and inadequate food supply distribution systems. Meanwhile, existing policies to prevent northern food insecurity don’t address root causes like lack of employment opportunities, cost of living, poverty, access, and availability of traditional foods. 

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, or ITK, a non-profit that protects and advances the rights and interests of Inuit in Canada, has developed a food security strategy to end hunger and advance Inuit food sovereignty. They hope to secure a sustainable food system that ensures access to affordable, nutritious, safe and culturally preferred foods. Through Illunnata, PSAC aims to add more voices to their calls to action. 

The campaign was also made possible with contributions from PSAC North, the Nunavut Employees Union, the Union of Northern Workers, the Yukon Employees Union, and PSAC Ontario.  

Learn more about the causes of food insecurity plus get access to educational resources, a social media toolkit, a gallery of photos, and send a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau demanding an end to northern food insecurity all at illunnata.ca, available in English, French, and Inuktitut.