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KIVALLIQ/WINNIPEG
The program needs an overhaul, but there's still money to be saved shopping in the south, said the owner of the last Nutrition North-registered supplier serving the Kivalliq from Winnipeg, Man.

Robert Harris displays a choice cut of meat from the butcher shop at Harris Meats in Winnipeg this past week. - photo courtesy of Todd Harris

Todd Harris, who owns Harris Meats with his brother, Tim Harris, said many people in Nunavut who used smaller independent operators in the south under the old food mail program aren't aware that option still exists.

Todd said the biggest drawback to Nutrition North is that it's caused an uneven playing field, and doesn't always subsidize just the healthy choices the government claims it does.

He said price wise Nutrition North is better or just as good as the old food mail program in some communities, but not so good in many others.

"There's no doubt we're able to negotiate better cargo rates than someone independently placing an order would get," said Todd.

"But the downside is they (federal government) took a relatively straight forward program and made it so complicated many people

don't understand it."

Todd said while Harris Meats has seen an increase in business since Nutrition North began, he expected more customers after many other southern suppliers opted out of the program.

He said the suppliers probably left because of the paperwork involved and the confusion surrounding the program.

"I've got subsidies that vary in communities from $2 to $8 a kilogram when it used to be a set rate for everyone.

"I can ship Level 1 items to Chesterfield Inlet for 14 cents a pound, but to Rankin Inlet the rate for Level 1 jumps to 50 cents a pound.

"That's still a benefit, even at $1.32 for Level 2 items, as compared to $1.50 at normal rate.

"But nothing makes sense the way they've done it."

Todd said he suggests people in the region should band together and try to get something done politically, because the program no longer works the same for everyone.

He said suppliers used to be able to ship products to everyone for the same price, and with far less restrictions than Nutrition North.

"People are becoming so restricted that it's somewhat ridiculous.

"They're tweaking the program, but that's not helping because it's so minimal on things that do and don't qualify for the subsidy.

"When you look at the products they're tweaking, not one is important enough to have to be changed."

Todd said he agrees with many Nunavummiut in that the whole program needs a bit of an overhaul.

He said it's not fair for people to have so many options taken away.

"People don't have to eat fruit and salad every night, and should have some choice in what they eat, but the program doesn't allow for that.

"In a lot of cases, suppliers have negotiated fairly good rates with the airlines, so, we've essentially brought down the price of freight for your pop and chips to be honest.

"But it's increased the price of perishables because our rate is not as good as the one rate across the board the government used to negotiate.

"Since you reduce the price of not-so-healthy items, it's not really the healthy program they want it to be."

Todd said Harris Meats stayed with Nutrition North because that's the business it's in.

He said even though some communities benefit from it, it's no longer an even playing field for everyone.

"We created a business based on the food-mail program and we stayed when they changed it because we didn't have many options.

"We set this up to service the North and it was both easy and working very well.

"With Nutrition North, I had to hire a computer programmer so I could get my subsidy from the government because I, honestly, don't understand how it all works.

"It used to be a common price for everyone in the Kivalliq, but not anymore."

Todd said when you look at a place like Pond Inlet, people who used to pay $1 a pound are now paying $4 a pound for Level 1 products.

He said while that's still a considerable saving over normal rates, it's a significant increase over what they paid with the old program.

"People can phone us at our 800 number with a sample order purchased locally - which is the best way to understand the program - and we can show them what that would cost shipped from us.

"When the government initially started Nutrition North, it was trying to eliminate companies like us from doing personal orders.

"Now it's said it's OK to do personal orders, but it made it so confusing the average person doesn't understand it."

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