Nunavut group plans food price protestsCBC News , June 9, 2012
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2012/06/08/19856621.htmlPreparations are underway for protests in Nunavut on Saturday against high food prices in the territory.
The Facebook group Feeding My Family is urging its members to gather outside the main store in their community between 1 and 3 p.m.
Leesee Papatsie of Iqaluit started the Feeding My Family group about two weeks ago, and there are now more than 12,000 members. Many are posting photos of the food prices from the shelves of their local stores.
“My main target is [getting] other Nunavummiut to stand up,” she said. “That’s my main target. Because this is not [the] Inuit traditional way of doing things.”
He said the Nutrition North Canada program has saved the company $12 million.
“We are not allowed to participate in the program unless the entire savings are passed along to the customer,” he said.
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/08/nunavut-rallies-against-extreme-food-prices..a bag of apples costs $15 and a spring chicken will set you back more than $60.
A case of 12 Best Value pizza pops sells for $20. A box of Chip Ahoy is $11.29. A case of jelly-filled Billet Logs is $17.79.
And that’s just the snacks. Healthier options, and some basic necessities, are much pricier.
A pack of spaghetti noodles is $13.49. A bag of apples costs about $15. Red peppers sell for $16.89 per kilogram. A whole chicken will set you back $64.99. And a box of 84 Pampers’ diapers runs for $73.
The high costs are due to high shipping costs, as food is flown in to the remote area.
