1. ST. THERESA POINT FIRST NATION:
Food Prices Are Too High to Eat Healthy
Shauna Zahariuk, Mariah Mailman and Shirley Thompson
Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba
90% of St. Theresa Point residents rely on country food to various degrees.
A resident commented, “We want healthy foods that are affordable, to get [our] lives back on track and to live a healthy life”.
“As soon as possible we [St. Theresa Point] need a change. It is too expensive. We eat whatever [food is around], just to fill our stomachs”, a resident said.
“I wish I knew how to garden. I work hard to put food on the table”, said one St. Theresa Point resident.
43% often and 43% sometimes ran out of food before there was money to buy more (total: 86%).
BACKGROUND
St. Theresa Point is concerned about the high cost of and lack of access to healthy food. This study found that people living in the North have problems obtaining proper nutrition because they have limited access to healthy food, such as fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, and dairy products. Lack of healthy food access contributes to health problems such as diabetes and obesity.
SUMMARY OF SURVEY RESULTS
The survey showed that:
45% of children were hungry within the past year because there was not enough money for food. Similarly, 42% of children’s meals were smaller than they wanted because there wasn’t enough food (Figure 4).
33% of children did not eat for a full day, and 39% of children’s meals were skipped because there wasn’t enough money for food (Figure 4).
Households often (30%) and sometimes (48%) relied on only a few kinds of low-cost foods to feed children (Figure 3).
Households often (33%) and sometimes (48%) could not afford to purchase healthy foods, which together accounted for more than three-quarters of households (Figure 3).
82% of adults ate less than they felt they should, and that 52% of adults went hungry because there was not enough food in the household.
48% of adults lost weight because there wasn’t enough money, and 36% of adults often and 36% of adults sometimes went without food for a whole day approximately once per month.
28% of adults often and 61% of adults sometimes skipped meals due to lack of food and money.
OBJECTIVES
This study asked:
Do household members run out of food before they get money to buy more?
Could household members afford to eat balanced meals?
What would people like to see in their community to improve access to healthy food?
What are the barriers to eating healthy in this community?
METHODS
A door to door household food security survey and interviews were conducted in 2009 by Shauna Zahariuk. The Health Canada standard method was applied in First Nations to compare food insecurity rates with Canadian rates, because Health Canada does not collect food security statistics from First Nations. All people interviewed were 18 years and older. Forty households were interviewed out of approximately 497 households (Manitoba Bureau of Statistics Census Profile, St. Theresa Point IRI). The survey findings were analyzed by Statistical Products and Survey Solution (SPSS). Open-ended qualitative interviews were conducted in order to get a holistic understanding of the problem and the solutions. Participatory video was used to record your stories.
Figure 2. Households worried money would run out (blue), money did run out (yellow), and they couldn’t afford healthy foods (green).
24% of households with children often and 52% sometimes did not eat enough because of lack of money for food.
PROGRAMS AND CONTACTS
Programs are by request, to help actions in communities. Contact for help and supplies:
Northern Healthy Foods Initiative (NHFI) is a project of the Manitoba Government. NHFI funds the following groups: Bayline Regional Roundtable (BRRT), Four Arrows Regional Health Authority (FARHA), Northern Association of Community Councils (NACC) and Manitoba Food Matters to increase access to healthy food and to support food projects. Contacts: Jennell Majeran, Manager ( , or Jessica Paley ( ,
Programs in other communities include:
chicken, turkey (with chicks and feed provided but not coop), goat and other small livestock production,
freezer loans for people to buy freezers to store healthy food,
community or school greenhouse and households receiving plastic for building a greenhouse,
provision of vegetable seeds, berry and other bedding plants, and grow lights for schools, and
an annual workshop in Thompson called Northern Harvest Forum to provide free teaching to northern community members about food production and preservation.
2. Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) provides gardening support to communities and gives workshops on gardening and chicken production. Contact: Brian Hunt ( , Fax: ,
3. Frontier School Division provides Veggie Adventure school activities and greenhouse and gardening expertise for northern climates. Contact: Chuck Stensgard ( ,
4. Chronic Disease Prevention Initiative (CDPI) provides some funding for traditional activities, gardening and
healthy snacks. Contact: Thelma Mason Phone:
5. Four Arrows Regional Health Authority (FARHA) provides a freezer revolving loan program, works with schools and assists with gardening including providing some seeds and loaning gardening tools and rototillers. Contact: Byron Beardy ( or , Fax: , or
6. Green Team employs youth to start community gardens, market gardens or help with household gardening. This is 100% paid for by government. Fill out the application form at:
7. Look at the participatory video called Growing Hope in Northern Manitoba at:
Video Trailer (8 minutes):
Full length video (22 minutes):
FINDINGS
Country food is central to people in St. Theresa Point, and made up 10% to 95% of total foods consumed. The survey revealed that 90% of households either hunted or fished, or received country food from relatives. The survey also showed that 93% of households had a freezer to store country foods, garden produce and store-bought foods.
Freshness, variety, and affordability were reoccurring themes concerning store-bought produce. High costs of foods was the largest barrier to eating healthy (63%), and then freshness of produce (33%). Many people expressed that produce was often wilted or rotten either at purchase time or shortly thereafter.
The survey suggests that the community would like to see an all-season road (43%), and that this would aid in reducing the costs of foods, as people could drive to larger communities and goods could be transported to the community via long haul trucks and trailers (Figure 1).
Figure 3. Households with children relied on low-cost food (blue), couldn’t afford healthy foods (yellow), and weren’t able to eat enough (green). Of the households interviewed, 15% did not have children under 18 years.
45% said children were hungry, but there was no money for food.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Regional Partnerships Program (CIHR-RPP). We thank the community of St. Theresa Point, Mark Dourn, Byron Beardy, Linda Manoakeesick, Four Arrows Regional Health Authority, and the Manoakeesick family.
Figure 4. Households where children’s meals were small (blue), skipped (yellow), children were hungry but there was no money for food (green), and children didn’t eat for a whole day (purple).
Figure 1. What community people said was the number one priority to eat healthier