A Canadian grocery store might soon offer reindeer meat from the nation’s sole herd, as per the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) that acquired the Mackenzie Delta herd in 2021. The federal government recently pledged up to $885,225 in funding through the Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program to aid the IRC in establishing a self-sustaining agribusiness.
Presently, the reindeer herd serves Inuvialuit households and families in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. With the new funding injection, a business division of the IRC plans to market reindeer meat to grocery stores and communities nationwide.
Brian Wade, the IRC’s director of community affairs, mentioned that the organization already operates a food processing plant for country foods. The additional funding will support the development of a facility dedicated to packaging reindeer meat for commercial distribution, expected to be operational by fall 2027.
“We are collaborating with CFIA [Canadian Food Inspection Agency] to ensure all products are inspected for nationwide distribution across Inuit Nunangat and Canada,” Wade explained.
The reindeer herd was initially introduced to Arctic Canada from Russia in the 1930s with the aim of being a food source for Mackenzie Delta residents. Under various ownerships over the years, the herd grew to over 7,000 animals from 1,500 when IRC took ownership in 2021.
Tuktoyaktuk Mayor Vince Teddy shared that his wife’s father played a key role in bringing the reindeer herd to the Mackenzie Delta region decades ago. Wade affirmed that while the IRC will continue supplying reindeer meat to Inuvialuit families at no cost, the new initiative aims to expand availability to a wider audience and boost income opportunities for the Inuvialuit community.