2-02804

GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE TRANSIT TIME FOR FOOD TO REACH KIVALLIQ REGION OF NUNAVUT

Ottawa, Ontario (November 3, 2006) - The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, announced today that Winnipeg will be designated as an additional entry point for food mail service to the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut.

"Adding Winnipeg as an entry point will reduce the transit time to most Kivalliq communities by at least 24 hours, since food will spend less time in Churchill," Minister Prentice said. "As well, most communities will receive food mail service twice a week, rather than once a week as at present."

"The Government is fully aware of the importance of improving access to nutritious food at affordable prices in isolated northern communities," Minister Prentice went on to say.

In her December 2002 report, the Auditor General recommended that entry points for food mail service to Canada's North be reviewed. The change announced today is based on extensive public consultations carried out in 2005, and will be implemented when contractual arrangements have been confirmed early in 2007.

As a result of this change, food will be flown directly from Winnipeg to Rankin Inlet since it is practical and efficient to provide this direct service. Food shipped to other Kivalliq communities, however, will continue to go by truck and rail from Winnipeg to Churchill, but the verification of shipments will occur in Winnipeg, thereby reducing the amount of time the food spends in Churchill. The food will then be flown from Churchill to Baker Lake, Chesterfield Inlet, Repulse Bay, Coral Harbour, Whale Cove and Arviat.

Businesses in Churchill, such as the bakery, can continue to ship from Churchill to all the Kivalliq communities.

This change will reduce the cost of nutritious perishable food in Kivalliq communities as the cost of shipping the food from Winnipeg to Churchill will be included as part of the food mail service provided by Canada Post. This means that shippers will no longer have to pay the additional cost of getting the food as far as Churchill before it becomes 'food mail'.

Yellowknife will also be designated as an entry point for service to Rankin Inlet, provided that Canada Post's cost of providing service from Yellowknife to Rankin Inlet is no greater than the cost of providing service from Winnipeg to Rankin Inlet.

The Government of Canada will review the structure, focus, funding and other criteria of the Food Mail Program. This review will be based in part on the evidence obtained from food mail pilot projects conducted over the past three to four years in three communities. Ultimately, the purpose of this review is to ensure the most effective and efficient means of achieving reasonable prices for nutritious perishable food and other essential items to approximately 140 isolated northern communities.

For more information, please contact:

Media Relations (819) 953-1160

Deirdra McCracken
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Jim Prentice
(819) 997-0002

Backgrounder - Food Mail Service

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