Food is our connection

We strive to strengthen health, belonging and food sovereignty in Iqaluit by utilizing the power of food, tradition and community.

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Building community
through food

Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre is a hub of food culture in Iqaluit. Through our charitable work we aim to build community, food skills, and awareness.

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Food insecurity in the North

Access to good, healthy food is a basic human right. QCFC works to improve food access, food skills, and advocacy in Iqaluit and Nunavut as a whole, one meal at a time.

Food costs are over double the national average

Only 1/6 of daily calorie intake in Nunavut comes from local country food

Over half of households in Nunavut are food insecure

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Our programs

Access to nutritious, affordable food has been a challenge for Nunavummiut for many years and it remains a public and political concern. We provide varied programming that address the many root causes of food insecurity.

Daily Community Meal

Join us for lunch! We serve a hot, fresh meal to the public between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Everyone is welcome!

Our menus aim to be nutritious, filling, and delicious. We regularly incorporate local country food, including Arctic char, ring seal, narwhal, polar bear, and whatever else our hunters provide. For more information, contact us below.

Pilimmaksaktut Pre-Employment Training Program

The Pre-Employment Training Program is a paid 8-week course designed by QCFC for under- and unemployed Iqalummiut. The purpose of the program is to encourage individual empowerment and help build confidence for program participants, preparing them for lasting employment. Throughout the 8 course weeks, participants learn the essentials of food safety, food skills, food systems, and develop life and professional skills necessary for a successful transition into the workplace. 

Kids' Cooking Club

Kids’ Cooking Club is a free after school program designed to bring children ages 8-12 together to learn about basic food skills, food systems, and nutrition in a safe, fun, and approachable manner. The program aims to give participants the confidence to prepare a nutritious snack on their own while also learning about how the food they eat relates to their bodies, their communities, food systems, and the planet.

Piruqtuviniit and Inuliqtait Food Boxes

Our Piruqtuviniit Food Box program is a weekly sale of produce and free-range eggs. The box varies each week but it generally consists of staple vegetables and a selection of fresh fruit. Similarly, our Inuliqtait Food Box program is a bi-weekly sale of country food purchased from hunters across Nunavut. Both boxes are available on a pay-what-you-can basis to ensure that all Iqalummiut have access to fresh produce and nutritious country food, regardless of income.

Order a food box

Community Cooking Club

Once a week we are happy to offer a safe and encouraging environment where community members can create community connections, learn new cooking styles and techniques, and build confidence with cooking and choosing healthy food. Everyone is welcome!

Our community is low on third places (where people connect with the wider community outside of their home and work circles), especially in the evenings, so having a place to socialize, learn and have fun at no cost is an important part of the community’s social fabric. For more info, contact us.

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How you can help

The support we receive from our community has a direct impact on hundreds of Iqalummiut on a daily basis. You can help us in the following ways: