Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the past, northern residents have relied on community gardens to provide nutritious locally grown produce. Thanks to dedicated community gardeners, this practice is being revived. During our short but intense growing season this summer, Northwest Territories community gardeners harvested a bumper crop of produce ranging from potatoes and carrots to spinach and lettuce.
Mr. Speaker, reducing the cost of living is one of the five strategic initiatives of the 16th Legislative Assembly. One way to accomplish this is to increase the amount of food that is produced and available at the local level.
Gardens have been established in many Northwest Territories communities through the support of the Small Scale Foods Program under the Canada-Northwest Territories Growing Forward Agreement and the hard work of residents throughout the Territory. This is a key step in providing affordable, healthy food for Northwest Territories residents.
While it’s called the Small Scale Foods Program, there’s nothing small about the benefits this program is producing in our Territory. It is reducing the cost of living. It is also diversifying local economies and putting healthy, locally grown food on the table.
Mr. Speaker, there are many more opportunities for the Northwest Territories to increase local food production. The Government of the Northwest
Territories is working with communities to develop our capacity to harvest our own local resources.
We are aiming higher and we are looking to maximize the benefits of local food production for Northwest Territories residents.
In fact, with strategic investments of $700,000 being made this fiscal year, we can expand not only the production of food to include meat and fish, but also develop the ability to process food for markets throughout the Northwest Territories.
This work will have its challenges, but they are not insurmountable and our work can be successful.
By making these investments, we can have bigger impact at the local level, reducing the cost of living, creating jobs and developing more self-sufficient, vibrant communities. There is no reason why we can’t have food produced in the Northwest Territories sold in every grocery store, hotel and restaurant in the Northwest Territories.
Through initiatives like the Small Scale Foods Program, the Government of the Northwest Territories remains committed to a diversified economy, reducing the cost of living and supporting local residents in making healthy local choices.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Lafferty.
