December 9th, 2025
Lori Idlout calls on federal government to take immediate action on Nunavut hunger crisis
Iqaluit, Nunavut – Lori Idlout (NDP MP, Nunavut) has written to Rebecca Chartrand, the federal Minister of Indigenous Services, urging the federal government to take immediate action on the hunger crisis in Nunavut. In her letter, Idlout presses the Minister for an expedited investigation into the cost of food and the effectiveness of Nutrition North.
“The rate of hunger in Nunavut should be a national embarrassment,” Idlout writes, citing the worsening crisis facing families in the territory. “The cost of food is out of control. Today, 42 percent of Inuit children arrive at school hungry – more than anywhere else in Canada.”
The letter follows months of growing concern about restrictions to federal support programs and rising grocery prices. “I hear from single mothers who survive on less than $1,100 a month, nowhere near enough to feed their children,” Idlout writes. “The hunger crisis grows worse by the week.”
On October 28, 2025, Idlout pressed the government in Question Period, highlighting the high cost of groceries. “No one can afford these prices,” Idlout said. “The North West Company is profiting from our tax dollars while Inuit families are going hungry.” Despite being asked directly whether she would accelerate the Nutrition North review, Rebecca Alty, Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations, failed to answer the question, instead referencing fuel and safety support for harvesters.
Idlout’s letter urges the Minister to request an interim report from the ongoing external review of Nutrition North and to expedite recommendations so action can be taken without waiting until late in 2026. She also calls for an investigation into food price increases by the North West Company, which operates North Mart stores across Nunavut.
“Far too many Nunavummiut are in poverty,” Idlout writes. “We cannot wait years for the review to be complete and recommendations to be implemented. We need federal support programs. We need action now.”
For more information or to share your experiences, please contact MP Lori Idlout at lori.idlout@parl.gc.ca or call 1-867-979-4193.
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