Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to build on Minister Lee’s important message about Nutrition Month by speaking to the importance of ensuring Northerners of all ages have the nutrition and health required so that they are ready to succeed.
Education, Culture and Employment and Health and Social Services, the district education councils and authorities, and non-government organizations such as the Food First Foundation, engaged in an array of activities to help students and families in this area. I have already spoken to the Drop the Pop during this session. Now I would like to share an example of activities that schools are engaged in.
At Kalemi Dene School in Ndilo last month students participated in the Moose Head Lunch. Students cooked fish stew and bannock while elder Muriel Betsina prepared moose head from a moose that had been shot by a teacher, Todd Hamilton. All the students had the opportunity to try this traditional and nutritious delicacy and I am told that many young students came back for seconds or even thirds. This kind of activity, which helps students to understand the negative impact of highly processed foods and the value of traditional foods, is what Drop the Pop is about.
In April, on completion of Kalemi Dene’s unit on trapping and pending success on the trap line, another traditional food lunch is planned. This one will hopefully feature beaver or muskrat, at the suggestion of Ms. Betsina. This is all part of the school’s commitment to traditional nutritious foods.
This year three NWT district education councils, the South Slave District Education Council, the Deh Cho District Education Council, and Yellowknife Education District No. 1 have joined together to access Health Canada funding to establish a school nutrition coordinator position that supports the needs of schools in the area of nutrition. A working name for this partnership is Together for Healthy Learning. Among the projects under development in the “eat smart” category are nutrition lesson plans developed within the Dene Kede framework, resources to support schools in traditional food preparation, and a family fun night to encourage families and community members to enjoy an evening at the school learning about nutrition in a fun and supportive atmosphere. This is a very exciting partnership and we are anticipating a pilot on these programs in the very near future, Mr. Speaker.
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment has also taken steps to ensure northern families have access to healthy foods through our Income Assistance Program. We are the first region in Canada to use a nutritious food basket measured for each community to determine the food benefits available through this program.
The Government of the Northwest Territories also funds homeless shelters that provide hot nutritious meals and a warm, safe shelter for those Northerners who are in greatest need. The Healthy Children Initiative provides funding to community-based organizations to support healthy child development in young children and their families. Providing healthy foods to young children supports their growth and development and begins building healthy eating habits that remain with them throughout their lives.
Mr. Speaker, in the last year, the Food First Foundation of the Northwest Territories has helped fund 18 breakfasts, lunches, and snack programs, feeding 1,627 students across the Northwest Territories. These programs take place in communities across the North, across the NWT from up in Ulukhaktok down to Fort Smith in the south and from Fort McPherson across to Lutselk’e. In addition to breakfast, lunch and snack programs, fruit and vegetable grants have been provided to most NWT communities and cooking programs for kids have been funded in nine communities. The foundation is led by a volunteer council that includes nutrition, health, education professionals as well as First Nation, student, teacher, and Parent Advisory Committee representatives. Food First is doing great work for NWT students. I look forward to further collaboration with them on nutrition awareness in the future.
Mr. Speaker, good nutrition helps students to concentrate better and helps to improve the overall
quality of life for people of all ages. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.