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La Ronge received over 20,000 pounds of fresh produce on Thursday. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)
Foods rich in Vitamin C

La Ronge receives fresh produce donation after scurvy outbreak highlights food insecurity

Jan 30, 2025 | 4:00 PM

After a scurvy outbreak in La Ronge, there have been government visits, press conferences, and calls for action. Today, locals will receive a large food donation with produce rich in Vitamin C to help.

Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food rescue organization, recently partnered with the local food bank and Kikinahk Friendship Centre to handle the logistics of distributing the donation in the community. The company intercepts and redirects surplus edible food intended for waste to go to communities in need.

The opportunity to connect with La Ronge came after 27 people were diagnosed with scurvy, a condition caused by vitamin C deficiency. The donation will include over 20,000 pounds of fresh produce, including oranges, green peppers, Roma tomatoes and potatoes.

“We became aware of the situation through the reporting on the cases. We reached out to the Kikinahk Friendship Centre who we work with quite regularly to send food out there,” Katherine Hepp, operations manager for Second Harvest’s Saskatchewan division, said. “To see [scurvy] cases happening in Canada in 2025 is deeply troubling. It’s a completely preventable disease… that just speaks to food security concerns in these rural areas and what we can be doing to help address it.”

Thousands of pounds of green peppers. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

It’s an answer for the interim, but Hepp points out, it’s not a permanent solution.

“The permanent solution would be to have policies in place and procedures that are ensuring that these communities have better access to this food,” she said adding Second Harvest conducts lobbying efforts for those facing food insecurity.

Those facing those increased costs often opt out of purchasing fresh produce, instead choosing processed foods with a longer shelf life.

“Surplus food exists everywhere. It exists all across Saskatchewan,” Hepp said. “By being able to intercept this food that’s going to go to waste, we can help get that to these communities.”

Since November, the group has sent over 100,000 pounds of food up North.

Danielle DeBruyne, the executive director of the Kikinahk Friendship Centre said the cases of scurvy in the community came as a shock, but hopes people going forward will seek out the nutrients they need.

In the meantime, she’s seeking supports to handle the delivery.

“We’re really grateful to receive this donation. We’re making efforts to work with everybody in the community because it is a large donation,” she said.

glynn.brothen@pattisonmedia.com