Food hampers go to Siloam Mission after Manitoba First Nation’s Jordan’s Principle funding request denied [Video]

Hundreds of families in a Manitoba Cree Nation will be without food hampers this holiday season after a funding request was denied — but the food will instead help feed people at a Winnipeg homeless shelter.

The food, including items such as potatoes, milk, butter, buns, gravy and cranberry sauce, was originally ordered to fill hampers for 200 families from Tataskweyak Cree Nation.

But the company hired to source and package the hampers said leadership from the northern Manitoba First Nation contacted them on Dec. 13, saying they had to cancel the order.

That’s because Tataskweyak had applied for funding for the order through the federal Jordan’s Principle program — and that funding was denied over eligibility concerns.

“[It] really is still very unfortunate, because … their members deserved to have a good Christmas as well,” said Tara Tootoo Fotheringham, the co-owner of Arctic Buying Company, the Inuk-owned business hired …