Rising food and gas prices a big concern for northern Manitoba First Nations already feeling the pinch

First Nations communities in northern Manitoba already pay high prices for fuel and groceries, and many are worried about the impact rising costs will have on struggling families.

"Prices are extremely ridiculous," said Tanya Highway, a mother of three.

Highway is Cree and a member of Barren Lands First Nation in Brochet, about 940 kilometres north of Winnipeg. The remote community of about 300 does not have a year-round road connection; it's accessible by plane, by boat in summer and by winter road usually from January to March.

It's one of 121 northern and isolated communities eligible for the federal Nutrition North Canada program, which subsidizes the shipping costs for items like fruits and vegetables, milk, meat, bread, and some non-food items like diapers and menstrual products.

Highway said she does her best to avoid shopping at the one grocery store in the community because of the high prices and limited selection.

She said she has noticed prices climb every year and even with subsidies, she said fruits and vegetables are often unaffordable.

"They're so expensive," said Highway.

"And then we've got all the junk food like chips and drinks and stuff like that … they sell them for cheap and because they sell them for cheap, everybody goes for that."

Brochet is about 530 kilometres by road from Thompson, when the winter road is open. Highway said residents will share rides to split the cost of travelling to Thompson to shop. Even though it takes nine hours to drive there one way, on top of hotel costs, she said the wider item selection and pricing is worth the trek.

"Our people take that opportunity to leave whenever we can, just to go and buy our food," said Highway.  

Barren Lands Chief Trina Halkett said they have been using COVID-19 relief funds from Indigenous Services Canada to help pay for food hampers.

The last round of hampers were sent out at the beginning of February, and it cost the First Nation over $30,000 to charter a plane to fly $60,000 worth of groceries from Winnipeg.

Halkett said they plan on making another large order of groceries for community hampers this month, but hope to get it to the community by truck on the winter road.

Members of the Sayisi Dene First Nation at Tadoule Lake, Man., are relying on traditional foods like caribou and fish to offset the cost of living.