This shipment of bananas arrived at the Grise Fiord Inuit Co-op recently. Residents say fresh food is often spoiled by the time it gets to the remote community. (photo courtesy of the Grise Fiord Inuit Co-op)

For weeks, the people of Grise Fiord, Nunavut, have been confronted with a desperate reality – empty coolers at the local Co-op store.

Hamlet officials say meat, milk and dairy products have been left behind over the past four to six weeks because First Air gives priority to other cargo and passengers who travel as far as Resolute, Nunavut.

As of Thursday afternoon, one small shipment of food – about 100 kilograms – arrived in the community. The food was bought up by residents before the Co-op store could even unpack it.

The inconsistent food shipments are due in part to rules under the Nutrition North Canada program, says member of the legislative assembly for Quttiktuq, Ron Elliott. Under the program, food is treated similarly to other cargo and does not get priority.

“When it was under the food mail program there was a priority to have food moved in under 72 hours,” said Elliott.

Elliott says he brought the issue up with Nutrition North officials. Their response was that the Co-op store should use another airline.

But that's not possible for Grise Fiord because Kenn Borek is the only airline which travels regularly from Resolute to Grise Fiord on Ellesmere Island. The airline flies between the two communities twice a week, according to the company website.

First Air is the only airline which flies from Iqaluit to Resolute Bay.

Residents complain that food shipment troubles are being exacerbated by the fact that more passengers are flying far North over the Christmas holiday.

When the last food shipment arrived, there was a race to the Co-op. The first in line went home happy, but others saw empty meat freezers and rotten black apples.

“It's getting pretty desperate, especially over the last four to six weeks. A lot of people not happy and it's kind of ridiculous, really,” said Marty Kuluguqtuq, who works for the hamlet and sits on the Co-op’s board.

Kuluguqtuq says even though food shipments are inconsistent, the community isn't starving because they’re hunting and eating non-perishable foods.

About 140 people live in the hamlet.