Food security conference in Dawson City, Yukon promoting community resilience, not reliance
This year's theme: diversifying food systems with a rural and youth focus
Any community, of any size is capable of moving away from reliance, and toward resilience when it comes to food security and sovereignty, say panelists at the 2025 Yukon Food Security Conference in Dawson City.
Organized by the Yukon Food Security Network, this year's conference is taking place at the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin Farm where the theme is: diversifying food systems with a rural and youth focus.
Most of the attendees came from communities across the North, but some people travelled from down south to participate.
Michelle Watson is the coordinator of the event. She said these types of gatherings are meant to ignite excitement around food security and sovereignty through discussions, workshops, and of course food.
"The conversation we're hoping to spark around here is that our work as individuals in our communities, and individuals in our organizations only goes so far," Watson said.
"But when we come together and we find ways to collaborate and we create that energy, that momentum ... that could really have a huge impact on the overall movement toward a more just, resilient, and equitable food system."
Watson said as the rate of food insecurity goes up, along with the cost of food, it's important for people to understand that proactive steps can be taken to address this on a community level.
Specifically in the Yukon and the North, one solution could be looking at traditional ways of harvesting food from the land, and learning from people who've done it for generations, she said.
"We cannot continue to rely on this one kind of food highway of mass produced, mass marketed products that comes from the global South to the global North," she said.
"With traditional food ways disappearing before our eyes. With all of these things it's really important for us to come together and to acknowledge yes we can't continue down this path and we're all here because we believe everyone has the right to food."
Derrick Hastings has been the manager of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin Farm for the past eight years. He said the farm was the perfect setting to host the conference because it's a great example of what can be achieved on a community level with support from governments.
"We're a little bit further ahead as a First Nation farm in the Yukon," he explained. "I think we're more established right now and other First Nations are looking to this space so it gives representatives a chance to look at the good things we're doing. Maybe some of the things they would take on in their own farms."
Hastings also expressed the importance of becoming more self-sustaining as a community, and moving away from relying on big corporations for food security.
"Big retailers. Big producers. They want you to think you're dependent on them but abundance is there. We just have to take it," Hastings said.
"We have to invest in each other and create a circular economy. I invest in you and you invest in me and keep the dollars rotating. Keep the dollars local."
Brent Mansfield travelled from Vancouver, B,C. to attend the conference and speak as a panelist.
Mansfield is a teacher and a representative for the Coalition for Healthy School Food — Canada's largest network of organizations that advocate for a universal cost-shared healthy school food program.
"Gathering like this are so critical for connecting people," Mansfield said.
At conferences like this one, Mansfield says he's able to take what he's learned and advocate for food programming in schools on a national level. He added it's also a good way to be able to connect national representatives with local groups to discuss the needs and the work being done in communities.
"To be meeting people and understanding that allows me to be a more authentic advocate."
The 2025 Yukon Food Security Conference wraps up on Thursday evening.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Alberta government scrapping changes to expense disclosure policy
The Alberta government has reversed course on changes to its expense disclosure policy after a public backlash. The decision was made at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, where "cabinet recognized the importance of an expense posting policy that achieves both security and transparency," according to a statement to CBC News from Finance Minister Nate Horner's press secretary. The government will "immediately revert to the previous expense posting policy expecting that address information for accommodations will be redacted on receipts posted online to ensure security of elected members and staff," said the statement. The government's previous policy changes, first reported by CBC News, were published without public notice on Aug. 1 and proved controversial. Key changes included the removal of a requirement that cabinet and senior staff publicly disclose receipts for expenses over $100. The government also removed thousands of expense reports spanning eight years that were previously available on its website. A government spokesperson told the CBC on Tuesday that the online reports would be restored. Criticism of the policy came from well beyond the Official Opposition and usual critics of the government. At a town hall hosted by Premier Danielle Smith in Edmonton last week, audience members criticized the changes. Smith said in response that she was confused by the policy, adding that the original intent was to address safety concerns by hiding the names of hotels used by elected lawmakers and staff. "It turned out to be something quite different," she said. "So we're going to see if we can maybe track down how that happened and do a reversal on that."
Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Trump vows to ramp up pressure on the Smithsonian, citing ‘progress' with U.S. universities
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday he will pressure the Smithsonian Institution, a premier museum, education and research complex for U.S. history and culture, to accept his demands, just like he did with colleges and universities by threatening to cut federal funding. 'I have instructed my attorneys to go through the Museums, and start the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities where tremendous progress has been made,' Trump said on Truth Social. The Smithsonian, which was established in 1846 and includes 21 museums and galleries and the National Zoo, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House said last week it will lead an internal review of some Smithsonian museums after Trump earlier this year accused it of spreading 'anti-American ideology' and raised alarm among civil rights advocates. 'The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been – Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,' Trump said. White House seeking fines from Harvard, other universities after Columbia deal, official says Analysis: Donald Trump has taken aim at what he calls the 'woke' view of American history The Smithsonian receives most of its budget from the U.S. Congress but is independent of the government in decision-making. Civil rights advocates say Trump's administration is undoing decades of social progress and undermining the acknowledgment of critical phases of American history. Trump has made threats to cut federal funding of top U.S. educational institutions, citing pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel's war in Gaza, transgender policies, climate initiatives and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Last month, the government settled its probes with Columbia University, which agreed to pay $221-million, and Brown University, which said it will pay $50-million. Both institutions accepted certain government demands. Talks to settle with Harvard University are ongoing.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Government moves to reverse new expense disclosure policy following backlash
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government may backtrack on a new expense policy that ends the public disclosure of receipts for government officials. Alberta's government is backtracking on a new expense policy that ended the public disclosure of receipts for government officials, following widespread criticism that the move erodes transparency. The policy, quietly published on Aug. 1 before the long weekend, removed a long-standing requirement that ministers, senior staff and deputy ministers publicly disclose receipts for expenses over $100. It also erased eight years of previously available online records. Premier Danielle Smith said the intent was to protect cabinet members, who often stay at the same hotels while travelling around the province. 'The issue that cabinet discussed was that there are a number of my ministers who go to the same hotels when they're frequenting different municipalities, and they just wanted the name of the hotel redacted, just in case people were tracking them down,' Smith said. 'It turned out to be something quite different.' Finance Minister Nate Horner's press secretary, Marisa Breeze, said the directive was meant 'to improve government operations and reduce red tape, and to bring Alberta's policies into alignment with other provinces.' She said the purpose was to 'ensure the privacy and safety of elected officials and staff specifically as it relates to the physical location of their accommodations while travelling.' She said receipts were still required for reimbursement and can be accessed through Alberta's Freedom of Information process. Later on Tuesday, Breeze provided CTV News with an additional statement: 'Earlier today, cabinet discussed recent amendments to the expense policy. Cabinet recognized the importance of an expense posting policy that achieves both security and transparency. 'Cabinet has therefore directed the president of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance to request Treasury Board immediately revert to the previous expense posting policy expecting that address information for accommodations will be redacted on receipts posted online to ensure security of elected members and staff.' The Opposition NDP called the policy a deliberate attempt to conceal government spending. 'Albertans foot the bill for government expenses. They expect receipts, not excuses,' said NDP house leader Christina Gray. 'Smith's government changed their policy on a Friday before a long weekend and scrubbed eight years of receipts from the internet. This was wrong, and all of these changes should be reversed.' NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi accused Smith of leading 'the most opaque government I've ever seen.' He said the premier 'claims she knew nothing about it. So she knows nothing about what's going on in her government. In reality, of course, she knew what was going on; she just wasn't expecting the backlash.' Independent MLA Peter Guthrie, a former cabinet minister, said the premier was also trying to shift blame. 'The premier is quick to take credit when things go right but just as quick to pass blame when they don't,' Guthrie said. 'Albertans deserve a government that leads with integrity, not one that hides expenses, blames others and dodges accountability.' The Canadian Taxpayers Federation said the rollback is essential. 'For the longest time, Alberta has had really strong transparency laws where politicians, their bureaucrats and staff have to show their receipts for their expenses,' said Alberta director Kris Sims. 'It isn't through FOI. You don't need to pay a fee. They have to post their receipts online—until now.' She added that taxpayers 'want to know if your tax dollars are paying to rent a Corolla or a Corvette, a Subway sandwich supper or lobster and steak on your dime. This is why detailed receipts matter.' Sims also dismissed the government's explanation that system capacity issues required the removal of older records. ' 'We hereby permit the government to go spend some money on external hard drives if it means they're going to be transparent with taxpayers,' she said. Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, said the explanation did little to ease concerns. 'They just removed eight years' worth of public records from the website,' she said. 'If it is a concern, you can simply redact the name of the hotel.' James Turk, executive director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, called the expense changes 'the tip of a far more serious iceberg.' He said the policy fits into 'a much larger blocking of access to information on the part of Albertans' under new legislation brought in by Smith's government earlier this year. 'In June, they brought in a new Access to Information Act, replacing the former FOIP Act as well as the Protection of Privacy Act,' Turk said. 'The access to information decreases the transparency of government and decreases the public and journalists' right to information from the government.' He added that by limiting the time receipts remain public and removing older records, the government is 'making it harder for the public and for journalists to keep track of what politicians and senior government officials are doing.' Turk said Alberta should be leading on transparency, not retreating. 'We don't want provinces going to the lowest common denominator,' he said. Diane McLeod, Alberta's information and privacy commissioner, provided a statement on the matter to media earlier this month. 'These changes diminish transparency and our office has no knowledge of the rationale for them,' her statement said, in part. 'The OIPC takes the view that transparency is critically important. Citizens are rightfully concerned about government stewardship of public resources and there is high, ongoing demand for records of government travel and other expenses, as well as other types of government spending. 'When expense concerns or scandals arise, they can lead to a crisis of public confidence in government. Proactively disclosing the expense data of senior government officials can enhance government transparency and accountability, build public trust and reduce formal access requests. 'This is why, in general, I regard government transparency as so important.'
