The Fédération des Coopératives du Nouveau-Québec (FCNQ-Ilagiisaq) is increasing storage capacity in Montreal —a move that could lower food costs on the shelves of Nunavik grocery stores. 

The first stop for all food sold by the 16 co-operative stores in Nunavik is their Montreal warehouse.

“We offer essential services,” said FCNQ general manager Mark Blair. “In some communities, the only store where you can buy food, where you can buy essential goods, is at your local member co-op.” 

The expansion of the warehouse, built by FCNQ’s construction division, is a $26.5 million project, with $966,000 provided by Indigenous Services Canada. 

The storage capacity would increase by nearly 10,000 square metres, bringing the total space to over 19,000 square metres, more than doubling capacity

That expansion means better capacity for FCNQ to buy in bulk.

“When there are discounts available, if you buy in certain quantities, we will now be able to take advantage of those,” Blair said. “We will be able to do picking from here and those discounts, we are going to pass them directly onto our member co-operatives.” 

The expansion will add an extra 1,580 square metres to refrigerator and freezer space, an asset that will help FCNQ increase its capacity to retain, store, and sell fresh produce like fruit and vegetables. 

“This is a strategic investment that strengthens food security and supports the long-term prosperity of Nunavik’s 14 communities,” said Ginette Lavack, parliamentary secretary to the minister of Indigenous services. 

Fresh food can travel for multiple days before hitting Nunavik’s grocery shelves. Blair said the company tends to buy the least ripe produce, to give it more time on store shelves before it goes bad. 

From the warehouse, the produce travels nearly 24 hours by truck to Air Inuit’s La Grande warehouse in Eeyou Istchee, the Cree region of Quebec. It is then loaded onto the planes and travels to each community to fill up the store shelves. 

“We know an important part of shipping fresh food is to never break what we call la chaine de froid (the cold chain),” said Blair. Fresh produce must be transported at around one to two degrees, regardless of the temperature outside. “Anytime it goes above or below that, the fruits start perishing much quicker.” 

The expanded warehouse offers controlled temperatures from the get-go, giving them better capacities to keep that cold chain until the shipment’s final destination.

FCNQ-Ilagiisaq will start using the warehouse during the sealift season, but is expected to operate at full capacity starting in September.