Archived - Horizontal initiative: Nutrition North Canada
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Lead department: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs (CIRNA)
Federal partner organizations: Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)Footnote 1
Non-federal and non-governmental partner(s): Not applicable
Start date: April 1, 2011
End date: Ongoing
Description of the horizontal initiative: The objective of Nutrition North Canada is to help make perishable, nutritious food more accessible and more affordable than it otherwise would be to residents of eligible isolated northern communities without year-round surface (road, rail or marine) access.
Registered retailers in the North, country food processors/distributors located in eligible communities, and food suppliers can apply for a subsidy based on the weight of eligible foods shipped by air to eligible northern communities. These subsidies are to be passed on to northern consumers by appropriate reductions in the selling prices of eligible foods. The Nutrition North Canada Program — National Manual governs the terms of the funding agreements with Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs' subsidy recipients (registered northern retailers and suppliers).
Given that there are a number of factors that influence healthy eating patterns other than food cost, Indigenous Services Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada complement the Nutrition North Canada retail subsidy by providing funding to support culturally appropriate community-based nutrition education initiatives. These initiatives aim to increase knowledge of healthy eating and develop skills for the selection and preparation of healthy store-bought and traditional or country foods.
Governance structures: The Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board gives Northerners a direct voice in the Program. The Board provides information and advice to the Minister of CIRNA to help guide the direction and activities of the Program, and to ensure that northern residents receive its full benefits. Members of the Board collectively represent the perspectives and interests of northern residents and communities in relation to the management and effectiveness of the Program. Members serve in their own right, as volunteers and not as representatives of any particular organization, area or special interest. Members are appointed for a three-year term.
Total federal funding allocated (start to end date) (dollars):
CIRNA: $581,082,763
ISC: $36,266,000 (2011-12 to 2020-21); $4,363,200 (ongoing)
PHAC: $137,000 (2016–2017); $405,000 (2017–2018); $529,000 (2018–2019); $519,000 (2019-2020); $385,000 (2020–2021 and ongoing)
Total: $623,686,963
Total federal planned spending to date (dollars):
CIRNA: $397,945,501
ISC: $18,843,200
PHAC: $137,000 (2016–2017)
Total: $416,925,701
Total federal actual spending to date (dollars):
CIRNA: $403,570,928
ISC: $16,945,739
PHAC: $63,181 (2016–2017)Footnote 2
Total: $420,579,848
Date of last renewal of the horizontal initiative: September 29, 2016
Total federal funding allocated at the last renewal and source of funding (dollars): Input to come
Additional federal funding received after the last renewal (dollars): Not applicable
Funding contributed by non-federal and non-governmental partners (dollars): Not applicable
Fiscal year of planned completion of next evaluation:
A&E: An evaluation of Nutrition North Canada is being conducted in 2017–2018 and is currently scheduled for approval at the September 2018 EPMRC meeting.
Shared outcome of federal partners: The ultimate outcome of the Program is to strengthen the nutritional choices and overall health of isolated northern communities through the food subsidy delivered by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and the targeted nutrition education initiatives delivered by Indigenous Services Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Expected outcome or result of non-federal and non-governmental partners: Not applicable
Name of theme: Not applicable
Theme Outcome: Not applicable
Theme performance indicator(s): Not applicable
Theme target: Not applicable
Planning highlights:
CIRNA: In 2018–2019, CIRNA will help to alleviate the high cost of food in the North by making perishable, nutritious food more accessible and more affordable to residents of isolated northern communities through the Nutrition North Canada (NNC) food subsidy. To ensure program transparency and accountability requirements are met, the Department will continue to support the activities of the Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board, as well as post recipient compliance reviews, shipping reports, and Revised Northern Food Basket price reports on the program website.
Building on program expansion and the completion of a year-long public engagement process, the Department will advance initiatives to guide program updates and further develop Nutrition North Canada so that it is more responsive to the needs of Northerners, while remaining sustainable. The Nutrition North Canada Indigenous Working Group (IWG) was launched at the May 2017 key stakeholder meeting. Consisting of Indigenous representative organizations and program officials, the IWG will work to co-design policy options and support program revisions that are relevant to Northerners and northern communities.
ISC: In 2018-19, Indigenous Services will support the implementation of Nutrition North Canada Nutrition Education Initiatives to all eligible First Nations and Inuit communities to increase knowledge of healthy eating and to develop skills in choosing and preparing healthy foods. In addition, ISC will work with CIRNA and PHAC to support program updates to Nutrition North Canada, as appropriate.
PHAC: In 2018–2019, PHAC will fund 10 projects to support culturally appropriate retail and community-based nutrition education initiatives. The activities, developed and delivered by community-based organizations, are intended to complement the food retail subsidy by influencing healthy eating in isolated northern communities. The aim of the nutrition education activities is to increase knowledge of healthy eating and develop skills for the selection and preparation of healthy store-bought and traditional or country foods.
| Federal organizations | Link to the department's Program Inventory | Horizontal initiative activities | Total federal allocation (from start to end date) (dollars) |
2018–2019 Planned spending (dollars) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs | Nutrition North | Nutrition North | $531,082,763 | $93,817,6281 |
| Indigenous Services Canada | Healthy Living | Nutrition North Canada Nutrition Education Initiatives | $36,266,000 (2011-12 to 2020-21); $4,363,200 (ongoing) | $4,353,200 |
| Public Health Agency of Canada | Core Responsibility 1: Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Health Promotion Program |
Nutrition North Canada Nutrition Education Initiatives | $137,000 (2016–2017); $405,000 (2017–2018); $529,000 (2018–2019); $519,000 (2019-2020); $385,000 (2020–2021 and ongoing) | $529,000 |
| Total for all federal organizations | $623,686,963 | $98,699,828 | ||
| 1This amount includes $550,000, which was re-profiled from 2016-17. | ||||
| 2018–2019 Expected results |
2018–2019 Performance indicators |
2018–2019 Targets |
Date to achieve target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability of perishable, nutritious food in eligible communities is strengthened. | The annual growth rate of food prices in isolated Northern communities compared to the national growth rate. | At or below the annual trend (increase/decrease) for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) | March 31, 2019 |
| Annual average cost of the Revised Northern Food Basket | At or below the baseline for the food basket, adjusted for inflation rate for food purchased in stores (Statistics Canada). The baseline used is the 2010-2011 average annual cost for the food basket ($438). |
March 31, 2019 | |
| Residents in eligible communities have access to nutritious perishable food at a subsidized rate. | Percentage of compliance/audit reports demonstrating that subsidies have been fully passed on to consumers | 100% | March 31, 2019 |
| Annual percentage variation in the quantity of subsidized items shipped by air | 3 to 5% | March 31, 2019 |
| 2018–2019 Expected results |
2018–2019 Performance indicators |
2018–2019 Targets |
Date to achieve target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residents in eligible communities have knowledge of healthy eating and skills, and are choosing and preparing healthy foods. | Number of participants by type of nutrition education activity | 4 or more different types of activities per year 6 or more participants per type of activity |
March 31, 2019 March 31, 2019 |
| Percentage of funding recipients reporting knowledge of healthy eating and skills among residents in eligible communities | 100% of funding recipients are reporting knowledge of healthy eating and skills | March 31, 2019 | |
| Quantity by weight of fruit and vegetables | Stable or increasing annually | March 31, 2019 | |
| Residents in eligible communities have access to retail and community based nutrition education initiatives. | Percentage of communities promoting nutrition education activities | 100% of funding recipients are promoting and offering nutrition education activities | March 31, 2019 |
| Number and types of activities (by target population groups, venues) | Funding recipients provide activities to 2 or more target populations (e.g., women, seniors, children, and youth) in 2 or more venues (e.g., grocery stores, schools, on the land) | March 31, 2019 |
| 2018–2019 Expected results |
2018–2019 Performance indicators | 2018–2019 Targets |
Date to achieve target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community workers are trained to deliver retail and community based nutrition education activities in eligible communities | % of funding recipients with trained Nutrition North Canada community workers to deliver programming | Target to be determined following 2017-18 data collection | Not applicable |
| Residents in eligible communities have access to retail and community based nutrition education initiatives | # of communities promoting nutrition education activities | Target to be determined following 2017-18 data collection | Not applicable |
| # and types of nutrition education activities (by target population groups, venues) | Target to be determined following 2017-18 data collection | Not applicable | |
| Residents in eligible communities have knowledge of healthy eating and skills, and are choosing and preparing healthy foods | # of participants by type of nutrition education activity | Target to be determined following 2017-18 data collection | Not applicable |
| % of funding recipients reporting knowledge of healthy eating and skills among residents in eligible communities | Target to be determined following 2017-18 data collection | Not applicable |
Contact information:
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs
Diane Robinson
Director, Nutrition North Canada
Northern Affairs Organization
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
Telephone: 819-997-9449
Diane.Robinson@canada.ca
Indigenous Services Canada
Mary Trifonopoulos
Senior Program Manager, Healthy Living
Population Health and Primary Care Directorate
First Nations and Inuit Health Branch
Indigenous Services Canada
Telephone: 613-292-7518
Mary.Trifonopoulos@canada.ca
Public Health Agency of Canada
Michelle Owen
Manager
Division of Children and Youth
Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention
Public Health Agency of Canada
Telephone: 613-325-5072
Michelle.Owen@canada.ca