Last thoughts from the Factory

The three months I spent in Moose Factory were a great experience, and it is amazing how much my perception of the community changed since I first arrived. Admittedly I was nervous and timid at the beginning, but my comfort level grew over time.

My fear of the dogs definitely improved, to the point were I was gaving a few of them treats. I stopped that pretty quick though because it got to the point where a pack of them would follow me home, fighting each-other for my attention. But I was just happy to have reached the point were I'm not taking a 20 minute detour because I see an unfamiliar dog on the road.

As I write this, I am back on the Polar Bear express. The incredibly slow train that is the only land connection to Moosonee, outside of the winter months. It turned out that even reaching the train from Moose Factory was a bit of an adventure.

With the weather forecast predicting 30cm of blowing snow, which turned out to be true, I was unsure how I would get off the island if the helicopters were grounded. Fortunately, since it has been so cold, the ski-doo taxis were still running, allowing me to get over the river to Moosonee.

I had no idea what to expect out of a ski-doo taxi, but as you can see from the photo, it is just a crude box with benches inside, hooked onto the back of the ski-doo. It was a bumpy ride over, but I figured it was a fitting ending for my time in the community.

From a work perspective my time in Moose Factory was challenging, but well worth it. It is incredible how many challenges the community faces when it comes to food. As I mentioned in a previous post, as a dietitian you are working with so many limitations, due to the cost, quality, and availability of nutritious food.

I have to wonder how helpful the advice we give is. Even if someone is able to make positive changes to their diet in the short-term, how long will it last if they struggle to afford healthy food, or do not have a supportive home environment to sustain the change.

That is not to say the role of a dietitian in the community is not useful, just that healthcare services should be more involved with community initiatives to improve the community food environment. However, this is not an easy change, as hospitals and health services, tend to be oriented to treat the sick, not preventing illness.    

I'm going to continue this blog while I'm back in Saskatoon, and while I tour through China this summer. Focusing mainly on food issues, and anything else I find interesting along the way.

Cheers,

JK