Prince Albert food bank welcomes PAGC moose meat donation

From left to right, Food Bank Executive Director Kim Scruby, and Food Bank Operational Manager Laura Uvery accept a donation of moose meat from PAGC dignitaries Floyd Cook (PAGC Land Based Program), Vice Chief Joseph Tsannie, Vince Brittain (PAGC Education), Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte, and Geoff Despins (Urban Services). -- Jason Kerr/Daily Herald

Prince Albert residents in need of a good meal will have one thanks to the Prince Albert Grand Council, who donated several boxes of moose meat to the Prince Albert Food Bank on Friday.

Food Bank executive director Kim Scruby said the donation will feed more than 300 people at a time when the need is extremely high.

“When I started here in 2017 I think we averaged about 700-750 hampers a month, and in recent months we’ve come close to 1,400, and that’s roughly three people per hamper,” Scruby said following the donation. “Just under 50 per cent of those are children, so this is going to make a huge difference for a lot of households in Prince Albert.”

PAGC dignitaries and hunters dropped the meat off early Friday morning. Scruby said the moose meat will be in high demand.

“The timing of this couldn’t be better,” he said. “Our freezers are pretty much empty. We’re grateful for the support in terms of this (donation) and also the ongoing support we receive from the Prince Albert Grand Council.”

The contribution was part of the PAGC’s ongoing efforts to address food insecurity and support community members during the winter.

Vice-Chief Joseph Tsannie was among the PAGC dignitaries on hand for the donation. He said the goal was to provide traditional foods for those who might not get a lot of it.

“We know (about) the high cost of food,” he said. “A lot of times our children don’t get the proper food that they need. Some say that our children are going to school hungry because of the high cost of food and energy bills that we have in our communities. We know that we have a lot of our First Nations members who live in the cities, and with families and single parents struggling just to get by, we’re so happy to have our staff … go out and get three moose for the food bank.”

Tsannie added that the food would be donated to any food bank client in need, not just PAGC members. The PAGC also plans on making another moose meat donation to the Prince Albert Salvation Army for their lunch program.

The moose meat was harvested during a traditional hunting trip in the Porcupine Forest near Hudson Bay. The list of hunters included the heads of the PAGC’s Urban Services, Education, and Land Based programs, as well as Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte.

Vince Brittain was among the PAGC hunters. He said the experience was a long and cold one, as temperatures dipped to around -40 C, but it was well worth the effort.

“Traditional hunting is about cultural identity, food security, and sustainability, and traditional hunting is just not about sustenance,” Brittain said. “It’s about getting to know your environment and each other and your skills.”

The six PAGC hunters used snowmobiles to help track down the moose. They got up a at 3 a.m. and didn’t get home until 1 a.m. the next day.

“It was a long day (and) a cold day, but with our experience with hunting this time of year, you dress properly and just make sure you’re staying active and staying warm,” PAGC hunter Floyd Cook said. “Overall, I think the whole experience was good for everyone.”

The meat donated on Friday did not include the moose organs like kidneys or liver. PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte said those are considered to be delicacies in the north, so they were given to PAGC elders.

-Advertisement-