Fruits, Vegetables, Milk15%

Starch (Potato/Corn)20%

Processed, pre-made food65%

2014 Food Snapshot - Wagmatcook, Cape Breton

Wagmatcook First Nation is a small reserve of approximately 750 people located outside of Baddeck in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Being a small rural First Nation community, Wagmatcook is currently facing many of the issues that other First Nations communities across Canada are experiencing, and those challenges being faced by other small rural communities in Nova Scotia. The community has a culture of sharing food through feasts to celebrate various hunting and trapping seasons, community breakfasts and barbecues.

About the Wagmatcook Community

This snapshot is part of the research and evaluation work of the Our Food Project to measure the impacts of food systems interventions. It includes information shared through one in-depth interview with Wagmatcook Health Centre staff, and one food mapping workshop including a survey with 7 community members. A comparative snapshot will be conducted in 2016.

Wagmatcook First Nation is a rural community of approximately 750 people located on the Bras d’Or Lake in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Living rurally has it challenges; Wagmatcook lacks a grocery store, making access to transportation and food costs real factors that affect people’s ability to make healthy food choices. The Wagmatcook Community garden grew out of a need identified by community members, who believed that growing their own food could address barriers to food security like affordability. One of their goals was to include children in the gardening activities, and young volunteers were an important part of the project. In the summer of 2014, nine raised beds were constructed on the site of an old farm. Along with gardening workshops, a series of cooking workshops at the health centre proved to be popular. Hands-on cooking workshops held in the Fall got kids involved, and efforts are being made to improve the quality of food that served at the local school cafeteria. Recognizing the important role a community garden can play in a community, the Wagmatcook Band Council and Health Centre have partnered with the Ecology Action Centre to foster the growth of this garden.

About this document

Wagmatcook Community Garden Catalogue of Primary Food AssetsThese locations were mapped by Wagmatcook community members.Retail Baddeck Co-cop 48 Twining Street, BaddeckBaddeck Fish Guy Jones Street, BaddeckHerring Choker Deli 1958 Highway 105Gas BarClean Wave Restaurant 10765 Highway 105Whycocomagh Co-op WhycocomaghNorth Sydney Superstore 125 King Street, North SydneySydney Mines Foodland 39 Pitt Street, Sydney MinesSydney Shoppers Drug MartThe Red Barn 2 Cabot Trail, Exit 7, Route 105

BaddeckProduce Market Baddeck Farmers’ Market 526 Chebucto Street, BaddeckLocalmotive Farm 901 Cabot Tral, BaddeckSydney Farmers’ Marker 340 Keltic Drive, Sydney RiverHank’s Farm Market 581 King Grove Road, MillvilleBras d’Or U-pick strawberries

Whe

re d

o yo

u ge

t you

r foo

d fr

om?

Food Assistance Health CentreCommunity FreezerBaddeck Food BankCommunity Breakfasts/Barbecues

Food Skills & Growing Moose campHighland meatHighland blueberriesIce fishingSeasonal eels, smels and troutPartridge huntingWagmatcook Community Garden

Grocery StoreFood Bank

Farmers' MarketFamily, Friends

Convenience StoreGarden

# of People0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

44

34

16

Processed, pre-made food15%

Whole food, Home cooked85%

Older families in Wagmatcook tend to eat more home cooked traditional foods which consists of primarily fruits, vegetables, meat and fish (approximately 85%). Only a small portion of their diet is processed food (approximately 15%).

Older Families

The average family’s breakdown had far more categories than the older families’ food plate. Meat and fruits and vegetables collectively made up about 25% of the average family’s food plate. 50% of the plate was fast food and canned/pre-packaged foods. The last 25% consisted of mostly potato/corn (and starchy foods), with a small

piece for both milk and fish.

Average FamiliesMilk and fish

5%

Fast food/pre-packaged50%

Meat, Fruits, Vegetables25%

Starch (Potato/Corn)20%

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FO

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The young families’ food plate was approximately 65% highly processed canned/pre-packaged foods, 20% potato/starch and 15% fruits, vegetables and milk. The difference between the older, average and young families’ food p la tes suggests that food knowledge and skills are not b e i n g p a s s e d d o w n f r o m generation to generation.

Younger Families

“Young  parents  in  their  teens  and  twen2es  don’t  have  the  skill  set  for  cooking  because  it  isn’t  taught  in  school  anymore.”

SUPPORTS for healthy food access

OPPORTUNITIES for Positive Food Environments

How IMPORTANT to you is…. ?

Growing food Cooking Preserving food

What is your SKILL LEVEL… ?

How CONFIDENT are you at… ?

The level of importance for all three activities is higher than the skill level and confidence level. One thing this data tells us is that there is an appetite to learn how to grow food, cook healthy food, and preserve (among other food-related skills).

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2014 Food Snapshot - Wagmatcook, Cape Breton

Why is food important to you?

BARRIERS to healthy food accessListed in order of importance in the community.1. Seasonal employment and unemployment: A significant portion of the community is either unemployed or employed in a seasonal position. This not only reduces incomes, but it also adds the barrier of time during seasonal employment, which generally means long hours to offset the off-season.2. Education: Levels of completed formalized education tend to be lower on First Nation communities, a trend that is also seen in Wagmatcook. This can limit access to education, skills and knowledge that are pertinent to food such as budgeting and reading food labels. 3. Distance: Wagmatcook is fairly close to other communities in Cape Breton such as Baddeck, but getting to these places requires access to a vehicle or paying for a cab, both of which are expensive when unemployed or only working seasonally.4. Generational knowledge and skill differences: The food plates in this snapshot appear to highlight a gap in knowledge and skill between different generations living Wagmatcook.

Listed in order of importance in the community.1. Strong community connections: Living in a small community, community members support and help one another out by sharing food, having neighbours over for supper and carpooling into nearby towns to purchase groceries.2. Community groups: Community groups such as the health centre and the community garden are able to offer supports for community members such as education and hands-on experience.3. Traditional culture/foods: Knowledge of traditional Mi’kmaq culture and food in Wagmatcook teaches community members how to hunt and fish, creating a source of free food that is accessible outside of the community.4. Community food supports: There are many food supports that are open to all of the community such as a community freezer where food is accessible to all, annual community feasts following moose hunts and fishing seasons, and community barbecues and breakfasts are a regular occurrence. Many of these events allow for community members to take food home with them.

Bridging generational knowledge and skills gap using community ties and connections that already exist.Wagmatcook schools: First Nation schools do not have to adopt to Nova Scotia education policies, meaning that Wagmatcook has an opportunity to create a positive food environment by fostering skills, knowledge and interest in its youth.Increase green/gardening spaces within the community: Community members identified a need for more green/gardening spaces within the community. These spaces could continue to foster community connectivity and foster mentorship between generations.Workshops and cooking classes: These would help teach skills ranging from food budgeting and reading grocery labels to gardening and food preservation skills.Shared community food spaces: Increasing the amount of and/or the use of communal food spaces, such as the community freezer, could help increase food access for everyone.

It would be easier to eat healthier with…

“Living  alone,  some2mes  it  is  hard  to  have  the  mo2va2on  to  cook  a  

nice  meal  for  yourself.”

Are you able to access all the food you would like?

Yes83%

No17%

More incomeLess expensive food

Food skills & knowledgeEasier access to stores

Supportive family/friendsMore time

# of People0 1 2 3 4 5

22

15

23

# of

Peo

ple

012345

Importance

Low High

# of

Peo

ple

012345

Importance

Low High

# of

Peo

ple

012345

Importance

Low High

# of

Peo

ple

012345

Skill Level

Low High

# of

Peo

ple

012345

Skill Level

Low High

# of

Peo

ple

012345

Skill Level

Low High

# of

Peo

ple

012345

Confidence

Low High

# of

Peo

ple

012345

Confidence

Low High

# of

Peo

ple

012345

Confidence

Low High

Cooking healthy foodPreserving food

Growing foodGarden construction

Season extension

# of People0 1 2 3 4 5 6

34

555

“In  September,  they  take  the  kids  up  and  teach  them  how  to  hunt.  Whatever  meat  or  whatever  moose  they  get  is  processed  and  brought  back  to  the  community.  

They  have  a  feast  and  everything.”