Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 08/02) - Feeding a young family of four is an ongoing struggle for Anne-Marie Giroux.

Her $535 GNWT Income Support payment is never enough to cover the monthly expenses of her three children, ages 17 months, three and four years.

Anne-Marie Giroux, with her two youngest children, finds it impossible to feed her family on her $535 monthly income support payment. - Michelle DaCruz/NNSL photo

She has little choice but to count on other resources like the Salvation Army, the women's centre and food banks to make up the difference.

"It's really tough. I have to just go day to day," she said.

Giroux is not alone, according to Karen Hoeft of the Salvation Army. Her group, along with the Yellowknife Women's Centre and other local charity organizations, set up a display in the Great Hall of the legislative assembly to illustrate what $535 worth of food actually buys. The inexpensive and low quality fare was starkly contrasted with a "healthy" food basket worth $900. A 1998 Indian and Northern Affairs study showed that a family of four needs at least this amount of money a month to eat healthy.

"Food affects every aspect of our lives -sleep, work, school. Being hungry can lead to behaviourial problems," said Hoeft.

She pointed out that the since the allowance barely covers food, parents have no funds left for personal essentials, like diapers or even a phone.

Ironically, Hoeft added that the cost of travel per diems for four GNWT employees for two days is almost $20 higher than the monthly income supplement.

Hoeft hopes at the very least public perception of government assistance will improve as a result of the display.

"There is a general misconception that parents enjoy living this way. No one goes on income support to get rich. This is their only way to survive," said Hoeft.

In conjunction with the display, Great Slave MLA Bill Braden tabled a 613 signature petition to the legislative assembly demanding reform to the income support program.

"Child poverty is real and our government can be doing more about it," said Braden.

The petition asks the GNWT to stop the claw back of child support payments and the National Child Benefit Supplement from income support cheques, and to reinstate basic necessities that used to be covered.