A recently released food security survey says the cost to feed a family of four in the north is almost 30 per cent higher than in the south, but a spokesman for an Aboriginal-owned contracting company says it is actually much higher.
This purportedly leads to all kinds of problems ranging from poor health to high welfare rates.
Glen Strong is the community relations coordinator for Athabasca Points, which is partially owned by a number of remote communities including Fond du Lac, Stony Rapids, Black Lake and Wollastan Lake. He says the high cost of living, especially the cost of food, makes it difficult to hire workers in some of the more remote communities because they are better off on welfare.
“You will fall further behind because it is not paying you enough for this area,” he said. “You’ve got to stay on welfare to make ends meet, well how disheartening is that?”
Strong says his company has provided donations to help some communities set up grow tunnels where they can grow their own produce. He says it’s a start, but he would like to see the program expanded and included in the school curriculum.
“With the students looking after it and learning about agriculture and the money they could possibly put away could go to things like school trips of something like that,” he said.
Strong says not only are food prices three to five times higher, there is limited availability because many of the remote communities are served only by a convenience stores where a bottle of pop will cost $2, but a litre of juice will be 10.
Strong says he has experienced the problems first hand, having lived in Stony Rapids for 15 years. He now lives in Prince Albert.