2023-24 Horizontal initiative: Nutrition North Canada

General information

Lead department: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)
Federal partner organizations: Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
Start date: April 1, 2011
End date: Ongoing

Description: The core objective of Nutrition North Canada (NNC) is to help make perishable, nutritious food more accessible and more affordable than it otherwise would be to residents of eligible isolated northern communities without year-round surface (road, rail or marine) access. Registered retailers in the North, country food processors/distributors located in eligible communities, and food suppliers can apply for a subsidy based on the weight of eligible foods shipped by air to eligible northern communities. These subsidies are to be passed on to northern consumers by appropriate reductions in the selling prices of eligible foods. The NNC program — National Manual governs the terms of the funding agreements with CIRNAC's subsidy recipients.

Given that there are a number of factors that influence healthy eating patterns other than food cost, ISC and PHAC complement the NNC retail subsidy by providing funding to support culturally-appropriate retail and community-based nutrition education initiatives. These initiatives aim to increase knowledge of healthy eating and develop skills for the selection and preparation of healthy store-bought and traditional or country foods.

Governance structure: The NNC Advisory Board (the Advisory Board) is the high-level governance structure for the NNC Horizontal Initiative. In addition to representatives from Northern Affairs, ISC and PHAC, Advisory Board membership also includes northern residents. This approach strengthens program governance by providing Northerners with a direct voice in the program. The Board meets monthly to ensure that the initiative is properly managed and that northern residents receive its full benefits, including 3 face-to-face meetings a year (2 of which can happen in NNC communities and the third is typically in Ottawa).

The Advisory Board also provides recommendations to the Minister of Northern Affairs to help guide the management, direction and activities of the program. Recommendations from the Advisory Board go through senior-level review and approval within Northern Affairs, including the Director General of Northern Strategic Policy Branch, the Assistant Deputy Ministers and the Deputy Ministers, before final approval by the Minister of Northern Affairs.

As lead department, Northern Affairs ensures timely and accurate reporting for the horizontal initiative, through the CIRNAC Departmental Plan and Departmental Results Report, and liaises with the Treasury Board Secretariat as required.

Total federal funding allocated (start to end date)

CIRNAC: $965,607,786 (up to 2022) and $112,846,036 (ongoing), $159,839,000 received as a renewal June 2022
ISC: $36,266,000 (2011–12 to 2020–21) and $4,363,200 (ongoing)
PHAC: $1,975,000 (2016–17 to 2020–21) and $385,000 (ongoing)

Total federal planned spending to date:

CIRNAC: $965,607,786
ISC: $42,156,860
PHAC: $2,360,000

Total federal actual spending to date:

CIRNAC: $976,519,067^{Footnote 1}
ISC: $38,343,848
PHAC: $2,164,471

Date of last renewal of the horizontal initiative: June 2022

Total federal funding allocated at the last renewal and source of funding:

CIRNAC: $159,839,000 (2022–23 to 2023–24), Budget 2021 and 2022
ISC: Not applicable
PHAC: Not applicable

Additional federal funding received after the last renewal: Not applicable

Total planned spending since the last renewal: Not applicable

Total actual spending since the last renewal: Not applicable

Fiscal year of planned completion of next evaluation: 2024−25 Evaluation of Nutrition North Canada (horizontal evaluation led by CIRNAC)

Horizontal initiative framework: departmental funding by theme

Planning information