North of 60 News - Spring 2025

Sisters and Brothers,

We are very busy wrapping up the gathering of essential food and household items to make the second shipment heading to Nunavut. Five of our communities in Nunavut are only able to receive our gift of food on this second shipment. It is their only chance of receiving shipped items from the South. Due to their location, the ship has only this time to arrive and make it back before unsafe winter weather. For Vincentians here in Ontario, this means we need to swiftly and efficiently gather, load and transport sea containers to the port in Montreal.

St Patrick’s Conference in Markham has abundantly stuffed two sea containers for their adopted communities, Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak. This year, St Patrick’s received help from Newmarket Vincentians who worked alongside them with the gathering of specific food items. The huge task of filling 2 sea containers, coupled with meeting the deadline for the port, was a new collaborative adventure for everyone. The containers will leave the port of Montreal at the end of July and be received in the communities at the end of August /beginning of September. Early stages of winter are already beginning to sneak in and the water is often rough causing an undetermined arrival - but they will arrive!

There are three other communities that will receive food but delivered instead in several crates. The communities of Kugaaruk, Baker Lake, and Rankin Inlet are supported from your most generous gift of pass ups to the project. Your pass up gift allows food to be purchased and shipped to the families in these communities. These communities are hoping that one day they too might be adopted by a conference or council.

I am ever grateful for your continued support for the families in Nunavut, especially now. We know food prices are ever increasing here - for the north certain foods are beyond their financial means. The food we send helps them to divert funds for perishable items we cannot send in containers. Again, please accept my sincere gratitude.

There are four other communities waiting to receive their containers. Whale Cove (St Raphael’s Burlington), Chesterfield Inlet (Kitchener PC), Naujaat (St. Catharines CC) and Coral Harbour (Hamilton-Hamilton West PCs) will receive their containers on the third and final shipment to Nunavut. To have the extra time to gather food items is a big help. However, this means the sea containers leave even later to head northward. Winter has arrived in these communities and the waters are rough. The arrival times are set for mid to end of October.

Should you want to learn more about the project, I will eagerly present to your Conference or Council. No distance is too far for me to travel. My email is listed below.

If you would like to help support the project please consider using the links provided below. Transportation is a pivotal piece to the success of the project. Transportation costs have, since our beginning in 2015, nearly doubled. Your support will make a tremendous difference and keep this project alive.

Below is my email address, ONRC’s postal address and a link to the form for pass ups as well as the Canada Helps link for a direct donation.

Please support our mission of sharing,
Pegg Leroux, North of 60 chair north.of.60@ssvp.on.ca

On-line: Click here www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/48540 OR
mail: Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Ontario Regional Council
PO Box 23016 Brantford PO Main, Brantford ON N3T 6K4 including this form to clearly designate the destination of your monies.