Organizations Making a Difference
Who is doing the work?
The following organizations have been contacted about this project and have given permission to be featured here. Each is doing meaningful work to address food insecurity in northern and Indigenous communities across Canada.
Harvest Manitoba
Manitoba's largest food distribution charity, formerly known as Winnipeg Harvest. Harvest Manitoba distributes millions of pounds of food annually through 380+ food banks and agencies across the province, feeding over 100,000 Manitobans every month, almost half of whom are children. The organization has partnered with Food Banks Canada on ice-road food shipments to remote northern First Nations communities and became the first registered food bank in Canada to participate in the Nutrition North Canada subsidy program.
Food Banks Canada
Canada's national food bank network, representing 5,500+ food banks and agencies across the country. Food Banks Canada has specific northern food insecurity programming, including ice-road food shipments to remote communities and ongoing policy advocacy to reform the Nutrition North Canada program. Their annual HungerCount report is the most comprehensive source of food insecurity data in Canada.
True North Aid
A registered Canadian charity providing direct humanitarian support to northern and remote Indigenous communities, reaching over 25,000 people in 165+ communities in 2024. Their programs include food initiatives like "From Bag to Bannock" and community nutrition support. True North Aid takes a direct, community-based approach that addresses what larger government programs often miss.
Nutrition North Canada
The federal government's subsidy program for remote northern communities, providing per-kilogram subsidies on perishable foods shipped by air to 124 eligible isolated communities. The program is currently under external review. Understanding what the government is doing, and where gaps remain, is part of staying informed.