NUNAVUT

Teresa Inooya, along with her one-year-old daughter Avaya, are about to shop at Iqaluit's NorthMart with Barbara Akoak.

Teresa Inooya, along with her one-year-old daughter Avaya, are about to shop at Iqaluit's NorthMart along with Barbara Akoak. Both said although they've noticed some cheaper prices under the newly implemented Nutrition North program, they were expecting bigger discounts. - Jeanne Gagnon/NNSL photo

Arctic Bay – before Nutrition North – after Nutrition North Best Value white bread 570 g – 3.95 – 3.69 Best Value select eggs, dozen – 4.29 – 3.99 Kraft Cheez Whiz 500 g – 16.19 – 10.89 McIntosh apples large, per kg – 10.95 – 10.35 Large tomatoes , per kg – 12.89 – 12.29 Lactantia pur filtre milk 2 per cent, 2 litres – 8.49 – 7.79 Cambridge Bay – before Nutrition North – after Nutrition North Best Value white bread 570 g – 3.95 – 3.69 Best Value select eggs, dozen – 4.49 – 4.19 Kraft Cheez Whiz 500 g – 11.39 – 10.89 McIntosh apples large, per kg – 9.85 – 9.39 Large tomatoes, per kg – 15.49 – 14.69 Beatrice milk 2 per cent, 2 litres – 7.19 – 6.29 Cape Dorset – before Nutrition North – after Nutrition North Best Value white bread 570 g – 3.75 – 3.59 Best Value select eggs, dozen – 4.09 – 3.85 Kraft Cheez Whiz 500 g – 13.19 – 10.99 McIntosh apples large, per kg – 10.49 – 9.89 Large tomatoes, per kg – 12.49 – 11.89 Lactantia pur filtre milk 2 per cent, 2 litres – 7.99 – 7.59 Kugluktuk – before Nutrition North – after Nutrition North Best Value white bread 570 g – 3.95 – 3.65 Best Value select eggs, dozen – 4.49 – 4.15 Kraft Cheez Whiz 500 g – 11.49 – 10.89 McIntosh apples large, per kg – 9.85 – 9.39 Large tomatoes, per kg – 15.49 – 14.69 Beatrice milk 2 per cent, 2 litres – 8.35 – 7.35 Iglulik – before Nutrition North – after Nutrition North Best Value white bread 570 g – 3.79 – 3.59 Best Value select eggs, dozen – 4.15 – 3.89 Kraft Cheez Whiz 500 g – 12.99 – 10.79 McIntosh apples large, per kg – 10.49 – 9.89 Large tomatoes, per kg – 12.49 – 11.89 Lactantia pur filtre milk 2 per cent, 2 litres – 8.09 – 7.59 Pangnirtung – before Nutrition North – after Nutrition North Best Value white bread 570 g – 3.89 – 3.65 Best Value select eggs, dozen – 4.25 – 3.99 Kraft Cheez Whiz 500 g – 12.99 – 10.99 McIntosh apples large, per kg – 10.89 – 10.35 Large tomatoes, per kg – 12.79 – 11.99 Lactantia pur filtre milk 2 per cent, 2 litres – 8.45 – 7.99

Both said although they've noticed some cheaper prices under the newly implemented Nutrition North program, they were expecting bigger discounts.

Under the program, freight subsidies are given to retailers with savings expected to be passed on to the customer.

"You do save some money but not as much as we'd want," said Inooya. "We're up here. We're trying to eat healthy for our kids and for ourselves but the high prices sometimes get in the way."

As for Akoak, she said she's not happy with the new program.

"I was expecting more because NorthMart does make a lot of money," she said. "I find it really hard to eat organic in town, considering Inuit are so susceptible to diabetes. A lot of us have iron deficiency and our bodies aren't adjusted to the food. A lot of us have allergies too, like gluten."

The price of a basket of food at most Northern stores, including Iqaluit's Northmart, will drop a minimum of five per cent with some prices down as much as 20 per cent, North West Company executive vice-president of northern Canada retail Michael McMullen. He added the five per cent was determined based on subsidies, fuel rates and other factors.

"It's bread, it's milk, it's margarine, it's apples, it's bananas, it's tomatoes. These two baskets, if you buy them today, they are 11 per cent cheaper than they were yesterday (March 30). That's a $10 saving in these two baskets of food," he said. "Our negotiations with air freight (carriers) and food companies are the primary reason why you see lower prices today."

But he couldn't guarantee the discounts.

"We're going to do our best to maintain that five per cent level," he added. "Our commitment is to maintain the five per cent level. We're going to freeze prices for at least three weeks, if not a month."

Throughout the store, signs indicate items prices before and after the implementation of the Nutrition North program. This is for transparency, said McMullen.

"There is some cynicism. Maybe you put the prices up beforehand. Absolutely not," he said, adding the former prices were taken late last month.

Cambridge Bay resident Patti Bligh said she couldn't buy milk and bread earlier this month in the community's grocery stores as there wasn't any. And if she could have bought the milk, Bligh said she believes it was 90 cents cheaper.

"The Northern had no milk and no bread all weekend. There had some frozen juice but not very much. The co-op had no bread on the weekend," she said. "We're drinking the last of our last order of food mail milk. I guess you just sit and watch when the trucks arrive and you follow them from the airport to make sure you have food for your family for the week because it's appalling."

With the old food mail program, she added they could order food they wanted unlike under the Nutrition North program.

The Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op, one of the main suppliers of personal food orders in the Kitikmeot, has opted not to continue the service, citing difficulties with meeting the new program's paperwork requirements.

Bligh, a mother of six, added she is worried about the day she runs out of milk and the stores don't have any.

"I don't know what we're going to do when I can't get milk for them. I'll pay the price because my children have to drink milk. It's the fact that now, I can't get it," she said. "I can't get Swiss cheese. I love Swiss cheese. I can't get grapefruit juice frozen because they don't carry it."

Pangnirtung resident Ron Mongeau said the Northern store has signs showing prices have dropped.

"From what I have seen, the shelves are really quite full," he said. "It's nice to see prices dropping at the community level."

But he added there are still a number of issues with the program.

"I still have not seen an accurate description of how country foods are going to be handled in the Nutrition North program. I think that's really important to this community," said Mongeau. "It's a step in the right direction but I think there is a lot more that needs to be done."

Clare Kines, an Arctic Bay resident, said some prices have dropped about five per cent while those for recently re-introduced items have slowly started going down.

"In general, prices have come down from what they were," he said. "But in general, prices are still extremely high. Food is still expensive. They have come down a little bit but they are not anywhere near affordable."

He added he still has a lot of concerns, namely what will happen after October 2012 when the product eligibility list will shrink.

Baffin Island Canners assistant manager Marc Dubeau said some prices went up while others went down under the Nutrition North program.

"There is no sign or anything (in the store)," he said. "If they ask, we'll just them which product is subsidized or not."

He added a number of products have been discounted about five per cent.

The company was able to negotiate better prices with freight companies, said Dubeau, but the program requires a lot of paperwork.

"It's more work and everything. We'll see how it goes in the future. It just started last week. I don't see much change," he said.

Duane Wilson, vice-president of the merchandising division at Arctic Co-operatives, said the program's implementation has been "smooth" in the territory's 23 co-op member stores.

"Overall, it's been very smooth, probably smoother than I would have anticipated," he said. "For the most part, stores have continued to receive their deliveries on time and in good condition."

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