With the NLCDC grant we received it helped pay for a large portion of our Traditional Meat Processing Facility. As the build aims for a completion date of September 1st, we will be perfectly aligned for the start of hunting season, our traditional hunting camps and back to school. This bright and clean space place will enable us to cut, prepare and process wild meat. The aim is to incorporate the youth and families, but also anybody else willing to learn.
We often find elders asking to do small amounts of dry meat or smoked fish. Many of them miss being able to do this, and we’ve previously been unable to accommodate this on a larger scale and a regular basis. The plan is also to bring classes in as part of our land-based learning, and the school has been excited to start this. There is a big buzz around the community, as they await access.
The plan was to go with a nice open lay out to be able to pull tables to the centre of the room and have a class of students surround the cutting tables. The cooler and freezer will help us create better stability with our food sovereignty and have a place to store meat for a much longer timeframe. We saw the effects of not have a stable storage place for food resources during the pandemic and a place such as this would aim to curb any future risks.
Thank you NLCDC for supporting learning and food security in our community.