A price tag lists the price of a jug of orange juice at a grocery store in Iqaluit, Nunavut on December 8, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Sitting down at the table to enjoy a holiday meal with loved ones, some families in Nunavut can expect to have spent $45 on a bag of flour for their holiday gravy and $17 on a small shaker of ground cinnamon to give their mulled wine a more fulsome flavor. For shoppers in the North, a hefty grocery bill isn’t the result of choosing the most expensive brands – it’s the daily reality of putting food on the table.

The remoteness of the North and large pricetag of flying groceries to the region has resulted in startlingly high grocery prices. To avoid these high grocery costs, families who are able to do so have turned to e-commerce platforms with free delivery like Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime is an $80-per-year service on amazon.ca that allows the user to access unlimited two-day deliveries with no minimum order size. While it isn’t accessible for everyone, those who can afford the private delivery service say it is far more effective at getting affordable meals on the table than a trip to a government-subsidized grocery store.

“We use Amazon Prime quite a bit. I use it quite a bit on cereal, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, any dry materials, snacks – I use it as much as I can,” said Leesee Papatsie, an Iqaluit resident who started the Facebook page Feeding My Family to draw attention to the high costs of groceries in the North.

It isn’t surprising that many northerners are turning to Amazon Prime when the costs of its products are compared with those in northern grocery stores.

However, Papatsie explained that Amazon Prime isn’t a perfect solution. The delivery service is only available to credit card holders living in Iqaluit.

“It’s made for people that are working and have credit cards. It works really well for people with credit cards – really, really well. But for others, it does not work,” said Papatsie.

Papatsie explained that Amazon Prime is also unhelpful for those seeking fresh produce or meat. She explained that between ordering dry food on Amazon Prime and buying meat and dairy at the local grocery store, she has still spent $487 on five days’ worth of food.

While Amazon Prime has provided an intermediate solution for more affluent Iqaluit residents, food insecurity and the cost of groceries is an issue that Papatsie said must be addressed.

“I have a lot of friends and family and relatives and people I know in different communities in Nunavut that I know are food insecure. It’s a reality,” said Papatsie. “When you open their fridge you see five or six items inside.”

Food insecurity often refers to situations when families run out of food before they are able to buy more food. It can also include situations where nutritious meals are out of reach or individuals skip meals or shrink portions due to affordability or access.

Statistics Canada reported in their February 2017 publication Insights on Canadian Society that identical groceries cost 81 per cent more in Nunavik than in Quebec. In Nunavut and in Nunavik, at least 55 per cent of adults aged 25 and over lived in a household that experienced food insecurity.

The government has attempted to the tackle the high rates of food insecurity in the North through the Nutrition North program, which subsidizes grocery stores so the shops can in turn reduce the price of some products for customers, but locals say it’s not an effective solution.

“It’s not working. It’s a total sham,” said Papatsie.

She explained that in one community, “the funding for (Nutrition North) was higher than the actual cargo rate to bring food up.”

Issues with the program are a large part of why northerners are turning to other options when given the choice.

“I think Amazon Prime, for Iqaluit, is a better program than the Nutrition North program is,” said Papatsie, “it’s way more effective than our Canadian program.”

Despite the issues with Nutrition North, Papatsie isn’t hopeful that the government will change the program.

“For the Nutrition North program, I really, really don’t think the federal government is going to change it at all. That’s the feeling I get,” she said, “I think the federal government needs to get away from the Nutrition North program and just make a different program.”

A statement from the office of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett didn’t indicate that the government is moving away from Nutrition North.

“It is completely unacceptable that many Northerners are still struggling to feed their families,” the statement read. “We are now considering all feedback received during recent engagements and (are) collaborating with northern and Indigenous communities to update the Nutrition North program so it better reflects their needs.”

The government has ramped up investment in the program with $64.5 million invested over five years, and $13.8 million per year ongoing. Nutrition North has also been expanded to 37 additional communities.

Papatsie said that the government should instead be focusing its efforts on supporting Inuit harvesters and hunters.

She also called on the government to support economic activity in the North.

“Inuit are really good at carvings and sewing. (The government should be) supporting that area, that can create money, because it’s always going to be expensive up here,” she said.

Papatsie also pointed out that the government could look into services people are already using, like Amazon Prime, and try to make them more accessible.

“Maybe in a place where people get their income support, there could be a computer where they could order from Amazon Prime using what they’re going to get from their social assistance program – using that money to pay for some of the food. That would help a lot,” said Papatsie.

Whatever approach the government decides to take, Papatsie was clear about one thing when it comes to food insecurity: “We’re not crying over it. Inuit are not crying over it. We’re just going ahead, moving forward, trying to find ways to move forward with this.”