More food is heading to northern First Nation communities thanks to teamwork between food banks and Nishnawbe Aski Police.
Volker Kromm is the Executive Director of the Regional Food Distribution Association, and explains it started when NAPS arranged to ship communications equipment to its outposts in 16 First Nation communities.
The force is sending the equipment over the ice roads in shipping containers, and offered the RFDA the remaining space in the containers.
“So we had room for at least three pallets of frozen protein in each of the containers that they’re shipping, and since they’re shipping the containers anyway over the ice roads, it gave us an opportunity to ship food fairly inexpensively,” he says.
Kromm notes they expect to send food to around twelve communities.
“We have shipped, probably, to 35 or so First Nations in the remote areas over the last couple of years, and it’s always been difficult. When we have access to a lot of perishable and non-perishable foods, it’s always been such a struggle. The cost is a big issue, as well as finding storage space,” he explains, adding that NAPS is covering part of the shipping cost and they are also saving money by shipping in bulk.
Kromm hopes they can continue using the containers to send food to the northern communities more efficiently.
