Setting up the first discounted food store in Canada's Arctic region to offer Inuit and all residents a wide variety of traditional Indigenous foods, as well as healthy options, easing the pressure on food bank services.
The Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre (QCFC) in Iqaluit, Nunavut, serves one of the four regions comprising Inuit Nunangat. QCFC offers programs in food access, skills training, and advocacy, aiming to enhance health, belonging, and food sovereignty through tradition and community. Understanding Nunavut's food security challenges, QCFC addresses issues stemming from low incomes, high living costs, and inadequate infrastructure—consequences of colonial practices such as forced settlements and the introduction of the wage economy.
In response, QCFC, supported by the Citi Foundation, is launching Kiktuurnaq, Iqaluit's first pay-what-you-can country food and bulk food store. Kiktuurnaq will provide fresh and frozen Nunavut country food and a variety of bulk foods, available through a tiered pricing system. This initiative promotes an equitable food system, ensuring all Iqalummiut have access to quality food, regardless of income. Sourcing country food from local hunters, this project supports a food sovereign and culturally sustainable local economy.