Therese Pierrot, an elder in Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories has been waiting about two weeks for her Canadian government support cheques.
Photo Credit: submitted by John Louison

Missing support cheques cause aboriginal hunger

Aboriginal elders and young mothers in a remote community in Canada’s north are going hungry because regular, government support payments have not arrived in the mail.

The cheques for Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan were supposed to be delivered at the end of October in Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories. The cheques are carried on three separate flights, and the government says it has no idea why they have not arrived.

About 25 seniors have been visiting a store every day looking for the cheques on which they rely for food, fuel and bill payment.

Food has to be shipped into remote northern communities and is very expensive. Some people in the community have not been affected because they have arranged for the cheques to be deposited directly into their bank accounts.

Categories: Indigenous, Society
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