You may have noticed through previous posts that I'm kind of fascinated by the high cost of food in Iqaluit. Alternatives, as I've mentioned are available to residents to get food on the table, and I was lucky enough to see what Food Mail was all about over the weekend.
Food Mail is a program that offers reduced shipping costs for items identified as necessities such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat for example.
A very exceptional family has taken me under their caring wing to show me every thing they can about life in the North. Having been in Iqaluit for 8 years already, they are experts with how life works up here. I am very fortunate to have them so close to me during trip and to have spend as much time as I have with them already. Mush talk over! The point is, I shadowed them through their latest Food Mail order.
It started last week when the flyer from a Metro store in Montreal came in through the mail advertising the week's specials. The deals were good, so they decided they would be placing an order. The order needed to be submitted by Thursday of last week, and was to be picked up the following Friday (8 days later). The order arrived in a 767 cargo plane, and was stored in a warehouse until it was ready to be picked-up.
When we arrived, the family was greeted by name, and in we went to the warehouse without further questions. It made me feel like I was back in Alexandria again!
The warehouse also has a refrigerator and a freezer section, where boxes were stored accordingly.
Very helpful employees got us organized, and 6 boxes later...
We were loaded up, off we went to unpack...
SO much packing material was used to make sure everything made it in one piece
In addition to the cost of the groceries, the Food Mail receipt had additional fees for packaging, refrigeration, freezing, shipping, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some!
Factoring in these additional fees, the cost of this grocery cost someone living in Iqaluit about twice as much as someone who would have bought it from the Metro store in Montreal that shipped it here. This same grocery from North Mart however would be at least 3 times as much. This being said, the family was pleased with the price they had paid, although having been here for 8 years, they no longer look at the price of ingredients at the grocery store anymore.
Success at getting food to the table at a better price - YES. But I should point out that Food Mail is only available to those with credit cards, which leaves it unavailable to a large portion of the population. I may be making assumptions here, but I would think that someone who doesn't have a credit card for whichever reason could definitely benefit from a break in food prices...
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