FEATURE-Hunger gnaws at Canada's north as new government promises
October 27, 2015
FORT SIMPSON, Northwest Territories, Canada, Oct 27 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - S hipping food to this remote village is never easy, but when the river linking it to the rest of Canada's sprawling Northwest Territories starts freezing in November, groceries must be airlifted in by helicopter.
Logistical challenges like this push food prices in Canada's far north, particularly for fresh fruits and vegetables, to levels unaffordable for many local residents.
Hunger rates across the north are far higher than the Canadian average, with the region's indigenous peoples particularly hard hit.
More than 60 percent of children in Nunavut, Canada's most northern territory with a majority indigenous population, aren't getting enough to eat, according to a campaign group.