North of 60 Annual

SSVP Western Region North of 60 Team Peter Ouellette Linda Wan Daryl Dietrich Lou Normand Stef Michniewski Katherine McKay Linda Tutt Mary Dunnigan Rita John Colleen Braun 1 | P a g e Executive Summary COVID gathering restrictions presented several problems for our team members in collecting food and other donations as well as in visiting the Arctic Communities. However, we consider the 2020 program again to be a success and a demonstration of our ability to grow. Our North of 60 program has gone National with members of our Society in Ontario supporting Communities in Nunavut, and Quebec Vincentians supporting those in need in Nunavik. Our Western Region focus is Northwest Territories where we supported nine Communities this year. We plan to continue the same food security support in 2020 with an increase volume at Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic. We again are grateful to our corporate benefactors who make this project financially viable. The warehouse and transportation logistics, food supply and household product donations continue to be strong. The COVID restrictions resulted in basically no food donations from parishioners, families, and friends. However, these loyal supporters provided cash donations that allowed for bulk purchases of the basic food security shipments to those in need in the Northwest Territories. This project is managed by a team of SSVP volunteers. There are no paid employees. Team members are assigned a Community and their role is to develop knowledge and most importantly rapport that allows for an accurate listing of the Community Highlighted are the Arctic Communities served needs as well as a confidence of fair distribution of product shipped. The team members try to make Community visits every couple year and at times meet their contacts or Community Elders when they are in Edmonton on personal or medical visits. Your continued support will allow the SSVP Western Region North of 60 Project to strengthen and grow. Thanks for your support, and blessings to all of you. 2 | P a g e Contents Executive Summary…………………….……….2 Contents……………………………………………….3 The Beginning of the Project…………………3 Arctic Communities…………………….…………4 What Products Ship..................................6 Where does it come from…………….………..6 Anglican DioceseSupport……………….………7 Corporate Logistics Support……………….... 8 Appendix 1 : Product Shipped…………………9 Appendix 2: Collaboration……………………10 Appendix 3: Thanks……………………..………11 The Beginning of the Project Sister Fay Trombley of Tuktoyaktuk, Eileen Orysiuk of Calgary and other members of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul had no idea that the work they started several years ago would build to what it is today. The process of providing help to those in need in “Tuk” has been a success and has become the model for SSVP in all the Arctic Communities, i.e., a location from which clothing and food can be stored, sorted, and distributed to those in need. Product is sold to those who have money and given to those who have none. Sister Fay and this SSVP Work has been recognized with the award of the Governor General's Polar Medal. The North of 60 Program in this Community has expanded to include systemic change programs such as driver education, sewing lessons, and a wood working shop. These programs are led by the Northern Residents for their Community. Our Society and your donations provide Fay Trombley received the Governor the materials and equipment needed to run these General’s Polar Medal programs. 3 | P a g e Arctic Communities Tuktoyaktuk was the first Northern Community that our Society started to support. Over the last 14 years a team of residents have joined the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. Their collective efforts with food and clothing distribution makes for a strong contribution to the Community. Many Vincentians from the south have traveled to Tuk and learned from the Community Elders. This last year one of our team members spent time in both Inuvik and The SSVP Distribution Centre in Tuktoyaktuk Tuk. Food and clothing from our annual shipment are distributed from this centre. The COVID restrictions have delayed the plans to convert a 40 ft sea can into a functioning wood working and electrical training shop - a mentoring programs for the youth of the Community. This year a Christmas bag of pillows and knitted lap blankets were delivered to those in need. Christmas Bags of Pillows and Blankets Paulatuk was first visited in 2014. A sea container of food and other items was shipped the following spring. Introducing the SSVP North of 60 program to this second Community allowed for a new strategy. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Parish partnered with Paulatuk. This has allowed the City of Sherwood Park to be involved in this outreach program. An old mission house structure known as Father's House had been abandoned Father’s House (1935) in Paulatuk, abandoned for 20 for 20 years. Generous financial help years, now being restored for SSVP food and clothing from a Family Foundation has distribution 4 | P a g e supported the restoration of this building for use as a Saint Vincent de Paul Distribution Centre for the Hamlet. This past year two sea containers were shipped to Paulatuk – one with food and household items and the other with building materials to continue the restoration of Father’s House. Inuvik is the hub of activity in the northern part of the North West Territories and the base of much of our SSVP activity. Covid has affected the functioning of the Church soup kitchen which has been our primary focus of support but additionally we have shipped greenhouse tools, fabric and sewing machines. Over the last few years, we have shipped pallets of support for those in need in Tsiigehtchic, a small Community south of Inuvik. For 2021 we will have a separate sea can for Tsiigehtchic as well as Fort McPherson. Food, clothing, sewing machines and fabric will ship in one sea can and be distributed to both Communities. The Igloo Church in Inuvik Aklavik uses a different system than others in their distribution of assistance to those in need. Our Vincentian contact distributed 38 food hampers to single adults, mostly men along with 19 hampers to families. The sea can is the food storage container. Food is continuously distributed as needed. The soya and the Volunteer putting together hampers in the sea can rice casseroles, Gleaners dehydrated potatoes and apple chips are all in high demand. In addition to the food items, this Community needs coats, blankets, bedding, and clothing. Sports equipment for the youth will be on the list for next year. Sachs Harbour with a population of about 100 is the smallest Community that is reached by our North of 60 project. As in Aklavik, the people enjoy the prepackaged meals and need clothing and bedding. With COVID restrictions, jobs are gone and unemployment at a high. Next year the sea can will be filled with packages designated to the specfic families. The small Hamlet of Sachs Harbour 5 | P a g e Fort Good Hope ( Kasho Gotine) received pallets of purchased food from local Edmonton wholesalers. The sea can, painted by the Youth of Saint Thomas More Parish in Edmonton, sits proudly outside the church. The food for those in need is stored here for further distribution. Our Lady of Good Hope Church Ulukhaktok is partnered with the two Catholic Churches in St Albert AB. The outreach from parishioners (Holy Family and St Albert Parish), friends, family, and corporations, results in monetary donations, bedding, fur coats, board games, sewing machines, art and school supplies, household items, couch and stereo for teen centre, baby quilts and blankets, baby clothing, and recreational supplies (hockey, soccer). Food is Ulukhaktok distributed by the Ulu Food Bank which allows for shipments in bulk quantity. Food also is provided to the school breakfast and lunch program. Other items in the sea container are presented to the Nutrition North Program, the Ulukhaktok Greenhouse, the Anglican Women’s Sewing Group, and the Health and Home Food bank repackages bulk food Care Centres. 6 | P a g e What Products Ship Over the last few years, we have developed two basic rules of operations: 1. We ship only what the Community asks for. 2. We continue to support the Community if they want us. This approach requires the development of rapport between the SSVP team member south of 60 and the Community contact member in the Arctic. Take a tour of some of the Arctic Communities that we assist by clicking on the North of 60 video . A listing of products shipped Appendix 1, is presented as a reference for information, however it is noteworthy that every Community’s needs are different. Food, non-food items, systemic change programs and other assistance is designed by the Community and their specific requests. Where does it all come from? Normally our preference in this project is to get small food donations from church parishioners and to involve as many supporters as possible to enhance their awareness of Arctic needs. Because of COVID restrictions this year, most of the food was purchased from food wholesalers in the Edmonton area and loaded into the sea cans. Larger volume food donations were made by: • $10,000 of whole powder milk was purchased this year from the processor in Winnipeg – money donated by Knights of Columbus Foundation and SSVP St Timothy Conference in Winnipeg. • Dehydrated fruit and vegetables were provided by Gleaners in Medicine Hat, AB and Oliver, BC. • Cooking oil was donated by the Alberta Canola Producers Commission. Gleaners Dehydrated Fruits and Gleaners Vegetables Alberta Canola Oil Producers K of C Financial Support for Powder Milk Loading Sea Cans with Purchased Wholesale Food 7 | P a g e One of the new collaborations this past year has been with Kids Against Hunger.

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