How to deal with an $18 jug of milk: Northwest rallies to find fresh food solution on Northern reserves.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: DRYDEN/KENORA

There's a will, but is there a way? First Nations and northwestern Ontario municipal leaders are diving into the details this summer on how to tackle the exorbitant costs of delivering food and consumer goods to remote fly-in reserves.

A two-day gathering on the Lac Seul reserve this past spring took on historical proportions as regional mayors met with chiefs from 31 communities to discuss if a coordinated and collaborative approach through a regional food distribution network can work.

Sioux Lookout, Lac Seul and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (K.I.) are studying the feasibility of a non-for-profit logistics company with a distribution terminal at the Sioux Lookout airport.

High instances of diabetes and heart disease in the Far North communities are being blamed for unhealthy diets, the limited availability of fresh foods, and limited knowledge of western diets. The high cost of transport is a major problem.

"Most vegetables aren't available here in town," said Noah Chapman, a K.I. resident and the co-ordinator of the feasibility study. "There's lettuce available but to make a Caesar salad, there's nothing like that in town."

A four-litre jug of milk routinely costs between $15 and $18. A small brick of cheese priced at $4 to $5 in Thunder Bay is marked up to $20 in K.I.

"Here it's three to four times higher than what it is down south," said Chapman.

The cheaper and popular options are packaged macaroni, canned meat and pop.

Chapman is working with the communities and MNR a Winnipeg consulting firm, on a feasibility study and business plan for the concept. A draft report is expected in July for the partners to review with a final document due out in August.

Sioux Lookout is the service hub for these communities and a popular place for fly-in grocery runs, said Chapman. "Everybody I know, when they go out for business meetings, they're bringing something back."

That's not lost on Vicki Blanchard, Sioux Lookout economic development manager, who lists the distribution centre and the food crisis in the communities as high on her agenda.

"We're on the right track, but this is long overdue."

"The distribution centre is about managing freight, not planes. Every community can't be doing it through different carriers at different times."

A big question to be answered is what Goods--like fish, mitts and moccasins--can the communities produce by way of backhaul freight to generate a reverse economy?

Jen Springett, president of Cloverbelt Local Food...