Minister Vandal announces appointment of key Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board members

Press Release

From: Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

December 13, 2024

Today, while at the Nutrition North Canada Research Symposium in Ottawa, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs welcomed Mr. McKinley Winters to the position of Chair of the Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board and Ms. Mavis Cli-Michaud as a board member for a three-year term.

McKinley Winters is an Inuk from Hopedale, Nunatsiavut, who has dedicated his career to supporting the health and well-being of his community. From 2016 to 2020, he worked as a Team Leader with the Nunatsiavut Government’s Department of Health and Social Development, where he managed food security programs like NNC’s Nutrition Education Initiatives and the Harvesters Support Grant. Winters’ experience with the NNC subsidy has offered him critical insight into the NNC program, food access challenges in northern communities, how NNC helps to offset the costs and the beneficial impacts in communities.

Ms. Mavis Cli-Michaud is a proud member of the Liidlii Kue First Nation, NWT, with over thirty years’ experience in senior management within government. Through her work she focused on communications, finance and human resource management, as well as socio-economic planning. From her diverse experience supporting in leadership roles on the Deh Cho First Nations Investment Management Board, MacKenzie Valley Land and Water Board to her founding director role with the NWT Native Women’s Association, Ms. Cli-Michaud is known for her adaptability and her commitment to making positive changes to meet the needs and help others, making her a valuable asset to the board.

The NNC Advisory Board is an important part of the program’s design and provides residents of isolated Northern communities a direct voice in the program. The board works closely with community members in eligible communities to ensure that their perspectives are heard and considered.

Quotes

“Working directly with northern and Indigenous partners, like the Nutrition North Advisory Board and key Indigenous researchers, is key to improving programming and including northern perspectives in the decision-making process. I would like to welcome McKinley Winters and Mavis Cli-Michaud into these important positions, whose food security work and experience with both the challenges and the successes will help inform and make impacts on the Nutrition North Canada program into the future. I would also like to thank Brenda Jancke for her contributions as Interim Chair and ensuring that northern perspectives are part of decision-making.”

The Honourable Dan Vandal, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Northern Affairs

Quick facts

Nutrition North Canada works directly with Indigenous and northern partners to understand and address their food security priorities.
There are currently 125 isolated northern communities benefiting from the Nutrition North Canada program. These communities are located in Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador. One hundred and twelve of those 125 communities are also eligible for the Harvesters Support Grant.
Nutrition North Canada programming is informed by its Advisory Board to the Minister of Northern Affairs, the Indigenous Working Group, and the Inuit-Crown Food Security Working Group. The program also benefits from strong relationships with NNC communities and recipient Indigenous Organizations. These partnerships are key to the program’s continued evolution.
Appointments to the Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board are made by the Minister of Northern Affairs and are subject to the Government of Canada’s open and transparent selection process.

Associated links

Contacts

For more information, media may contact:

Kyle Allen
Director of Communications, Parliamentary Affairs and Issues Management
Office of the Minister of Northern Affairs
kyle.allen@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca

Media Relations
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
819-934-2302
RCAANC.media.CIRNAC@sac-isc.gc.ca