March 26, 2015 - Ottawa, ON - The Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, issued the following statement following the Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board meeting in Iqaluit, Nunavut:
"Our Government wants Northerners, like all Canadians to have access to quality, nutritious food. Today the Nutrition North Canada (NNC) Advisory Board is meeting with Northerners in Iqaluit, Nunavut to discuss progress made and potential improvements to the Nutrition North Canada program.
We are already seeing improvements, some of them made by retailers themselves. This week, for example, la Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Quebec (FCNQ), which operates 14 cooperatives in Nunavik, Quebec, is leading the way and has voluntarily implemented a point-of-sale in-store system. This new system ensures that customers will see how and when the NNC subsidy is applied to their grocery bill. This means that consumers will be able to clearly see the amount of the subsidy passed on to them, ensuring greater retailer transparency and accountability.
I would like to see all northern consumers have the same access to transparent point of sale information. To that end, I have directed the Advisory Board to examine the FCNQ's approach and provide me with advice and recommendations on wider application of a point-of-sale system by June 1, 2015. I have directed the Board to ensure that any recommendations must keep in mind that related costs for such a system cannot impact NNC subsidy funding and that any system would need to be verifiable through audits and/or compliance reports.
Northerners deserve to better see that NNC is working for them and retailers need to make efforts to increase transparency."
Emily Hillstrom
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Bernard Valcourt
819-997-0002
Media Relations
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
819-953-1160
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