RANKIN INLET/KANGLIQLINIQ
Kivalliq Arctic Foods is taking another step towards getting quality country food products to more people.
General manager Todd Johnson displays some of the tasty food items included in the new country food family packs being distributed by Kivalliq Arctic Foods in Rankin Inlet. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo
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The company began selling country food family packs about two months ago and, to date, the reviews have been positive.
Arctic Foods, along with its parent Nunavut Development Corp. (NDC), is also helping to get products to those in Nunavut communities who could use it most.
Arctic Foods general manager Todd Johnson said the company wants to make country food more accessible and available to Nunavummiut.
He said that's the main idea behind the new packaged product.
"The country food family pack consists of two whole char, a half-hip of caribou, left side or right, and two packages of processed items such as a standard retail package of candy nuggets or jerky," said Johnson.
"We added that to offer a little something over and above the standard fare of char and caribou.
"We're picking up the shipping cost because so many Nunavummiut support us, that it's important we try as much as we can to support those people back."
Johnson said the plant had some supply on hand to begin packing the country food family packs.
He said it's now purchasing more product, specifically to accommodate the family pack requirements.
"We want to have this product available as much as harvesters are able to provide for it.
"We want it to be maintained for as long as possible and develop even more lines like it.
"So, we want to talk to any community willing to sell us char and caribou."
Johnson said char and caribou purchased by Kivalliq Arctic Foods has to be a commercially-provided product He said caribou has to be commercially tagged, and char caught in a licensed water body by licensed fishers.
"There's parameters on what we can purchase because we abide by federal and territorial law."
Johnson said it's a little extra work to prepare the family packs, but it's worth the effort to ensure people are getting country food.
He said the plant has been getting good reports from people on the product, and both he and his plant workers are excited about its potential.
"This really started to kick into gear during the past two months, or so, and I see it as a winner for two reasons.
"It's going to make our prepared products readily available to folks in Nunavut.
"And it's reasonably priced when you look at what you're getting for your money.
"There's about 25 pounds of product per pack, give or take, at a reasonable price that comes from an inspected facility."
NDC has been making an effort to get some of its product into the hands of Nunavut's less fortunate, as well.
President Darrin Nichol said on the supply side, NDC's meat and fish plants are geared and focused on working with harvesters and fishers across the territory.
He said their main priority is to provide quality caribou, char and muskox products to Nunavut residents, regardless of where they reside.
"That being said, we've also taken steps to work with different agencies to ensure less-fortunate families and individuals also have access to the quality country food items produced by our three main plants in Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay and Panniqtuuq," said Nichol.
"We've been working with the soup kitchen in Iqaluit in the provision of char and caribou product during the past few months.
"It's produced by Kivalliq Arctic Foods and regarded as a contribution from NDC."
NDC, like the majority of Northern companies, is constantly approached by non-social agencies looking for donations to support their events.
Nichol said the company made the decision, about a year ago, to focus its contributions on areas where there's a demonstrated need.
He said instead of getting its banner hung over a wall at an event, NDC decided its contributions would be best directed to organizations in Nunavut that support people who may not have access to any kind of food, let alone country food.
"We decided to focus our contributions and sponsorships to things maybe a little less visible, but certainly equally, if not more, important.
"Food security is a very real issue for many, many people in this territory.
"We know our country food is expensive, and there's a lot of people out there who just can't afford it.
"The recognition of that fact also precipitated our conscientious decision to focus our contributions on these very important organizations that are often overlooked."
