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Table 4 Povert reduction plans in Inuvik and Iqaluit

From: Community food program use in Inuvik, Northwest Territories

Poverty reduction plan

Content

Building on the Strengths of Northerners: A Strategic Framework toward the Elimination of Poverty in the NWT (Inuvik)

Released in 2013

Five priorities:

• Children and Family Support (Breakfasts for Learning Program and the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program as examples of current initiatives promoting healthy children and families)

• Healthy Living and Reaching our Potential (healthy eating initiatives by Health and Social Services as a health promotion example of current initiatives promoting healthy living and reaching our potential)

• Safe and Affordable Housing (soup kitchens and food programs as supporting efforts to reduce homelessness)

• Sustainable Communities (Community Harvesters

 

• Assistance Program, Inuvialuit Hunters Assistance Program, NWT Growing Forward Program, and Small Scale Foods Program examples of harvesting initiatives promoting sustainable communities)

• Integrated Continuum of Services

Food security appears as a component of some of the five priorities. Two objectives related to food security initially appeared in the former poverty reduction document entitled Poverty Free NWT: An Anti-Poverty Strategy for the Northwest Territories. These objectives fell under the Healthy Children and Families theme, and included “all young children have access to the food they need for healthy growth and development” and “all youth have the food they need to be healthy and reach their physical and cognitive potential.” However, these food security-specific objectives have been removed in the final poverty reduction plan.

The Makimaniq Plan: A Shared Approach to Poverty Reduction (Iqaluit)

Released in 2011

Six themes:

• Collaboration and Community Participation

• Healing and Wellbeing

• Education and Skills Development

• Food Security

• Housing and Income Support

• Community and Economic Development

Food security is specifically one of the six themes.

The objectives for the Food Security theme include:

1) The establishment of a “Nunavut Food Security Coalition”

2) Enhancement of healthy breakfast and lunch programs in schools

3) Increased support for community-driven food security initiatives

The Nunavut Food Security Coalition has since been established, and is creating the Nunavut Food Security Strategy. The Strategy will be complete in June 2013.