'The children are eating less now': Nunavummiut protest end of food voucher program

Even in the midst of Nunavut Quest celebrations, residents in Igloolik gathered on Thursday to protest the end to funding for hamlet food vouchers for Inuit children. 

"The children are eating less now, " Stephen Qrunnut said in Inuktitut, as he held a placard decrying the cost of living in the North. 

According to advocacy group Campaign 2000, Nunavut has the highest child poverty rates in Canada, at 42 per cent. Nearly all of the hamlets in the territory rolled out a food voucher program last year.

In the past, that was funded by the Inuit Child First Initiative (ICFI), which was given a one year extension last month.

But Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) says the ICFI is meant for temporary relief to address immediate risk factors to children.

"It is not intended nor structured to displace government income assistance through 'universal' programs such as food vouchers," ISC said in a statement. 

Going forward, any group requests for food will be based on each individual child, and they must show how an Inuk child has been rejected or experienced gaps and delays in accessing government services. 

As a result, at least nine Nunavut hamlets have publicly confirmed the end of the voucher program. Some Inuit organizations, like Ilitaqsiniq and Tungasuvvingat Inuit in Ontario, are also winding down some of their early years programming.

From April 1 to April 10, 2025, 98 requests for products, services and support were approved under the ICFI – mostly for travel, health services and economic support. 

Sixteen were related to food, but no large-scale food requests were approved. 

Igloolik's ICFI co-ordinator, Carolyn Tapardjuk, says she's already noticed the impact of the food voucher program ending in her community on March 31, 2025. That was when the previous round of funding expired. 

"Some of the people are requesting food from family, on Facebook, and through the local radio station," she said.

Right now, she has 30 expectant mothers in a community of more than 2,000 people. 

While some hamlets are still waiting for an official decision on their outcome, Sanirajak has received a rejection notice for its application.