Yellowknife currently has a 10-year strategy that aims to grow the local food economy adopted in 2019. Last Monday, city council adopted an implementation plan for this strategy, setting short-term goals.
One of these goals includes expanding areas where commercial greenhouses are permitted. This project has a budget of $15,000 over the next two years.
France Benoit, a Yellowknife farmer, urged councillors to approve this plan. She mentions supporting agriculture is vital to improving food security and combating climate change. Benoit proposed numerous solutions to achieve this goal, including a farmer-in-residence program or a “win your farm” competition.
Benoit continued to point out that the city is focusing on certain industries over others, and that the city should consider equity, rather than equality, when distributing resources across economic sectors.
“I’m begging you to treat food production differently because it is different,” said Benoit. “We’re shooting ourselves in the foot if we’re treating what literally keeps us alive the same as any other industry.”
As the implementation is being adopted, city staff will continue to act on initiatives that will help achieve its goals.