Remote northern communities often lack access to affordable fresh food which is a situation that can affect the health of people living there. This is why, on a weekly basis, patients at Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre are served Miichim traditional meals as part of a program co-ordinated by the centre. For the past five years, moose, caribou, wild birds or beaver have been donated to the health centre from local hunters or what the Ministry of Natural Resources has confiscated. Once at the health centre, traditionally gathered or hunted food is prepared in a separate kitchen than federally inspected food to avoid cross contamination. The program is part of the Indigenous Foodways project, which works with other Indigenous advisors and providers to find ways to raise awareness of the importance of traditional food.
NBHC Care Experience