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TUKTOYAKTUK
Demand at Tuktoyaktuk's food bank has plummeted since the territorial government changed the way income assistance is distributed within the community.

Sister Fay Trombley started Tuktoyaktuk's emergency food program four years ago with the help of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Every Wednesday and Saturday residents are free to stop in and pick up dried food like soup base, powdered milk, flour, macaroni and sugar. - Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison/NNSL photo

"I would say at least half of the people are not having to use emergency food anymore," said sister Fay Trombley of the Roman Catholic Mission.

"From the reduced need for the food bank, it looks like families are truly using income assistance for food and clothing."

In September the Department of Education, Culture and Employment -- at the recommendation of Tuktoyaktuk's hamlet council -- changed income assistance so that those receiving support are now given vouchers for a grocery store instead of a cheque.

At the time, Trombley said the number of people visiting the mission for emergency food was around 40 per month. Now the number is less than half that.

"You've got to have food on your table, you've got to have clothing and you've got to have shelter. That's what assisted living is primarily for," she said.

"There's been a change. Now that the money is going to (the Northern Store and Stanton's), they have to spend it there. It shows that when the money's in the food store, they buy food."

The voucher system will remain in effect until March, at which time it will be evaluated for its effectiveness.

Mayor Merven Gruben said there is now support for the system within Tuktoyaktuk, and that complaints about it have died down in the community.

At the time of the change, many voiced their opinions against it, saying it reinforced negative stereotypes of aboriginal people and was another example of an overreaching government.

"We need support programs like budgeting, parenting skills and healthy food choice programs. We don't need to be babysat by the government," said one resident in an interview with News/North at the time of the change.

Bingo sales in the community have also dropped since the voucher system was put in place, according to Trombley.

"People don't have as much money to play," she said.

In Ulukhaktok, which changed from a voucher system to a cheque system approximately two years ago, demand at the food bank is on the rise.

"It used to be two people per month and now it's 20 or 30," said Mayor Janet Kanayok, adding that residents have started asking that the community be changed back to a voucher system.

Trombley urged other communities looking to make the change to make sure they hold thorough consultations with residents so that everyone fully understands the differences between the two systems.

"It needs to be talked about, and you really need to have the majority moving in that direction," she said, adding that after some initial hiccups in Tuktoyaktuk, the overall change was positive.

"I think I sort of supposed that life would go on as normal, but it improved," she said.

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