New money breathes new life into Iqaluit food centre

Iqaluit's Qayuqtuvik Food Centre is getting ready to grow their programming.

After some setbacks over the last year, including running out of funding for the Inclusion Caf, a skills development program for people with disabilities, the board is looking ahead.

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The centrereceived funding from the federal government a through theUrban Programming for Indigenous Peoples fund and through a partnership with Community Food Centres Canada. That money will helpQayuqtuvik grow into a model community food centre with nutrition, training and education.

"There are a number of centres like this in the South and this would be the first one in the North," explainedWade Thorhaug, the president of the Qayuqtuvik Food Centre's board.

The goal is to have a stable funding model in place so they can do all the work they envision for the centre.

With the funds they will be able to hire an executive director, bring onadditional chefs, and restart Inclusion Caf as a training place for underemployed Inuit in the community.

"A lot of food service institutions are recruiting from the South and bringing people in, when really, with a bit of training, you can get people up to a point where they can work in a professional kitchen," Thorhaug said.

"The idea is once they exit from the program, they are in a really comfortable position to apply for a job."

Along with catering, those trainees will make food that providemeals to the community'smost marginalized people.

"You are training, but you are also doing something really wonderful for the community," Thorhaug said.

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