By Trelle Kolojay

$200 turkey? Sask. group aids Nunavut families dealing with outrageous prices

Jan 22, 2015 | 11:35 AM

A can of soup for $6, laundry detergent $47 and $200 for a Christmas turkey.

Those are some some of the high food and household items costs facing families in Nunavut and some Saskatchewan people are looking to help.

Megan Clake is the organizer of the Saskatchewan chapter of the national group Helping Our Northern Neighbours.

“It matches Northern families in need with southern families who are willing to send food either in a one-time donation or as a longer term sponsorship,” Clake explained.

Clake said she wanted to get involved after seeing some of the outrageous costs for basic groceries up north.

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“It was just really hard to believe that whole communities are struggling with obtaining enough food to eat in a prosperous country like Canada,” she said.

Clake and her family have been sponsoring a single mom in Nunavut since November.

“We send up a food parcel every two months and it’s really nice to know that we’re making a difference… if we send $100 worth of food, it’s really saving our recipient family $400-500 on their monthly grocery bill.”

The national group Helping Our Northern Neighbours started in B.C. last summer and some Saskatchewan members were working from that main group. However, with interest in the group exploding, Saskatchewan now has its own chapter that has gone from zero to 200 members in the past five days.

Clake said they are looking for more people in the province to sponsor families, donate food or give money to cover shipping costs. She hopes to expand the group further and possibly even send care packages to families in need in northern Saskatchewan.

To get involved, email Clake at honn.south.sask@hotmail.com or visit the group’s Facebook page.