The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty held a successful Rally for Food Justice on April 9, 2016. HPAP member Katie Dorman shared the following message.
“I’m a family physician working in Northern Ontario and member of Health Providers Against Poverty, sending my support for OCAPs rally against food poverty and hunger.
Every day I see the damaging effects of excessive food prices on people’s health. Food insecurity, both in the amount and type of food that people can afford, is contributing to premature mortality across Ontario.
Along the James Bay coast, the Northern Stores have a monopoly. 1 orange costs $3, 1 can of soup costs over $6, 3 bags of milk costs nearly $10. At the same time, the CEO of the North West Company earns over 5 million dollars per year.
Children are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and cannot afford to eat healthy.
People who are hungry have no food bank to turn to.
Colonization and systematic cultural oppression have deprived many indigenous peoples of their traditional sustenance, while ongoing exploitation by large corporations intensifies food insecurity. On top of this, chronic underfunding of education, health care, children’s services, and social infrastructure intensify the effects of poverty and hunger.
It’s time for this to end. We need food security for all Ontarians.”
Health Providers Against Poverty 