Feds invest $4.6M in agriculture projects across 3 territories

The federal government is investing $4.6 million to help farmers and agriculture businesses in the three territories.

That money will come through the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), announced Yukon MP Larry Bagnell, who's also the parliamentary secretary to the federal minister responsible for CanNor. 

The money will help 13 agri-food projects across the territories to grow and create jobs, reads a federal government news release.

"As COVID-19 causes serious disruptions to supply chains, this investment will help businesses mitigate and address these challenges," reads the news release.

The government says it's committed to help Canadian farmers "not just survive, but thrive." 

When asked if the funding is new, a spokesperson from CanNor said all of the recipients have already received the money, most during the 2019-20 fiscal year.

"We prefer to get the money out the door first, and announce it later," the spokesperson said in the email.

Here are the projects for Nunavut:

• $2 million for the Nunavut government to develop and install community freezers to Sanirajak, Baker Lake, and Kimmirut. There will also be upgrades and renovations to community freezers in Iqaluit and Kugluktuk.
• $752,800 for the Nunavut government to support creating a "web-based country food system" in Baker Lake, Arviat, Qikiqtarjuaq, Pond Inlet, and Kimmirut.
• $272,000 for the Baffin Fisheries Coalition to help commercialize inshore turbot and char fishing in the territory and to develop "small-scale, inshore commercial fishing operations" in Pond Inlet, Clyde River, and Kimmirut.

Here are the projects for the N.W.T.: 

• $849,420 for the Marine Training Centre's expansion in Hay River.
• $86,275 for Laughing Lichen, which has a 12-acre tea farm, to expand its facility outside of Yellowknife.

Here are the projects for Yukon: 

• $99,999 for Northern Blue Bird Farm to expand and build a multipurpose building.
• $99,900 for Horse Haven Ranch to improve cattle feed and production.
• $99,900 for Yukon Born and Raised Inc. "to expand the processing and marketing of Yukon-raised meat."
• $91,515 for Klondike Valley Creamery to construct a new barn.
• $80,000 for Sunnyside Farm to help construct a micro-dairy plant in the Whitehorse area.
• $76,450 for ColdAcre Food Systems Inc. to expand its all-season growing facility. 
• $42,525 for Little Red Hen Eggs to purchase a new, modern egg grader.
• $40,000 for Yukon Brewing to install a spent grain removal system, which "will allow spent grain to be used by local farmers at no cost."

There as an additional investment of $604,348 made by a federal-provincial-territorial partnership to help these projects, states the news release.

"I am pleased that CanNor investments are helping to create a reliable food supply chain here in the North, supporting good local jobs across the territories," said Bagnell in the news release.