Kuujjuaq greenhouse gets $1M for food production

The Northern Village of Kuujjuaq will receive $1 million from the federal government to expand food production and processing at its community greenhouse in Nunavik, northern Quebec.

Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty announced the non-repayable contribution Friday on behalf of Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, who is responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty accompanied her on a tour of the greenhouse, Nunatsiaq News reported.

The money will pay for a new service building connected to the existing greenhouses, which were built in 1999 and 2012, said Roxane Archambault, a member of the four-person volunteer committee that manages the greenhouse. The municipality operates the project.

The building will include an insulated space to extend the gardening season, washrooms and better working conditions, Archambault said. The committee also hopes to add a seedling container. The funding will also cover food-preservation equipment and workshops on growing fresh food, according to the federal announcement.

“We’re really glad to get this funding. We were not sure what we would do without it,” Archambault said in an interview in French.

Archambault said the project is expected to be finished by fall 2027.

The greenhouse has 46 gardening plots for community members. Inuit beneficiaries and residents who have lived in Kuujjuaq for at least 10 years qualify automatically, and anyone else can apply after one year in the community. Plots are awarded by lottery if demand requires. Organizations also qualify automatically, and there are community plots with produce such as lettuce, spinach and herbs. The gardening season has ended and is expected to resume in late May or early June.

Mary Johannes, the mayor of Kuujjuaq, said the funding is “an important step toward strengthening local food production and food security in our community.”

Gull-Masty said in a statement that increasing the means communities have to produce food locally helps Inuit overcome their challenges and strengthen food security. The federal release said harsh climate, transportation and infrastructure challenges hinder economic development in northern communities.

The announcement follows other federal investment in the region. Canada also announced funding for lithium, connectivity and industry in northern Quebec this week. Earlier this fall, Kuujjuaq’s elders’ home was set to become a temporary homeless shelter, and the Nunavik school board planned to pilot sex education in Kuujjuaq.

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