37 more communities eligible for full Nutrition North subsidies

The federal government hasannounced an expansion of the Nutrition North Canada program, adding about 22 communities and upgrading 15 others that were receiving partial subsidies.

The program subsidizes the cost ofshipping food to remote northern communities that are accessible only by air for all or part of the year.

The government says the expansion of the program in 37 communities is the result of updates to the community eligibility criteria.

The bulk of the communities being added to the program or being upgraded to full subsidies are in the northern parts of Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. They include:

Ontario

• Ogoki
• Webequie
• Lansdowne House
• Eabamet Lake
• Summer Beaver
• Wawakapewin
• North Spirit Lake
• Cat Lake
• Poplar Hill
• Deer Lake
• Favourable Lake (Sandy Lake)
• Keewaywin
• Sachigo Lake
• Kasabonika
• Angling Lake
• Wunnummin Lake
• Kingfisher Lake
• Weagamow Lake
• Pikangikum

Manitoba:

• Tadoule Lake
• Brochet
• York Landing
• Granville Lake
• Shamattawa
• Berens River

Saskatchewan:

• Uranium City
• Wollaston Lake
• Fond-du-Lac
• Stony Rapids
• Black Lake

Wekweeti, Whati, Gameti and Lutselk'e,N.W.T.,Port-Menier, Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon and Blanc-Sablon,Que.,Williams Harbour, N.L., andFortChipewyan,Alta. are also being added or upgraded.

The changes take effect Oct. 1.

The 2016 budget committedan additional $64.5 million to the program over five years, beginning in 2016-17 and $13.8 million per year ongoing starting in 2021.