The provincial Liberals are promising millions for northern Manitoba food subsidies and nutritional counselling programs if elected.
“Things like milk, fresh fruits, vegetables – those things are costing families way too much money, and it’s really affecting their health, especially children,” said leader Rana Bokhari. “We’re pledging to spend $25 million in our first year in government on this program to ensure northern Manitobans are getting the food they need to live a healthy lifestyle.”
The subsidy aims to encompass all northern Manitoba communities, with higher priority placed on more impoverished communities and regional counsellors distributed between multiple communities, according to the Liberals.
While the Liberals have committed to the program, communications director Mike Brown says the details have yet to be worked out vis-à-vis the extent of the program and who will directly receive the subsidies.
“We want to work with retailers to see what the best way to do that is, whether it’s a subsidy to the individual to take to the grocery store, or something else,” said Brown.
The federal government’s Nutrition North program provides subsidies to northern retailers for the shipment of fresh, perishable foods.
Yet as food costs continue to rise, many northerners believe the full benefit of subsidies are not being passed down to consumers.
That said, beginning in April retailers receiving Nutrition North subsidies will be required to include subsidy information on customer receipts.
Manitoba’s NDP government implemented a pilot project for its own provincial subsidies back in October, known as AFFIRM: Affordable Food in Northern Manitoba.
The pilot project, which has been extended to 10 northern communities, includes five communities that do not receive full, or any, federal subsidies.
