Readers offer their opinions on the number of scurvy cases diagnosed in the La Ronge area and the possible causes and potential solutions for the disease.
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The diagnosis of 27 people with scurvy in La Ronge is concerning. Even more concerning is the proposal this is a health problem that can be solved by subsidizing imports of more fresh fruit and vegetables.
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This approach does nothing to rebuild the capacity to locally control access to healthy food.
Indigenous people, historically, dealt with scurvy. European explorers wrote about being saved from scurvy by Indigenous people diagnosing and treating them with spruce needle, Labrador and rose-hip tea. These are all common plants and are easily accessible in northern Saskatchewan.
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The plants are easy to harvest, to prepare, and to store throughout all four seasons. Modern tests have found these forest-grown teas all have much higher vitamin C concentrations than oranges or limes.
One option to rebuild local food knowledge would be through the school food program. It could be planned to go beyond just serving food to students. The school could use the program as a foundation to develop a community-school home economics course for students, their parents and elders.
Participants would learn how to assemble, prepare, preserve and consume healthy, culturally appropriate food. This will require adjustments to food policies and to the education curriculum.
Collaboration among the municipal council, the Indigenous council, the school board, the health authority, as well as youth and their parents will need to be discussed. It won’t be easy. But perhaps the diagnoses of scurvy might be the impetus for greater self-direction in providing local food.
Murray Hidlebaugh, Saskatoon
Other scurvy causes worth considering
It’s obvious from reading the article “As scurvy cases rise in north, NDP calls for food security measures” that the writer of this article has never been in La Ronge as the article is completely lacking in balance.
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While I am not familiar with the most northern places of our province, I have been to La Ronge many times. There are other probable reasons than food availability for the rise in scurvy near La Ronge. One of them could be a diet consisting of mainly fast food.
There are many fast food outlets in La Ronge which are very busy: KFC, A&W, Dairy Queen, Subway, a pizza place and a number of other restaurants.
On the positive side, there are at least three places to buy groceries, one of them being a beautiful Co-op food store with a large array of fresh vegetables and fruit. Based on my experience, their prices are mostly comparable to Saskatoon.
There is also an abundance of wild fruit in the north, which freezes very well to be used all winter. The people who take advantage of the wild fruit available to them likely do not develop scurvy, even while living on a small budget.
When will the NDP show people how to take responsibility for their personal health rather than blaming everything on the current government? If the NDP was in power, would milk prices in the most northern places drop? Not very likely!
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Helen Beaven, Saskatoon
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