More than half of Saskatoon’s residents live in a food desert, meaning they are not within walking distance of a supermarket and must travel out of neighbourhood for healthy groceries.

On Oct. 15, a crowd of about 30 gathered in one of Saskatoon’s largest food deserts — the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood — to raise awareness of the issue. Many carried signs saying, “Access to healthy food is a human right.”

With a bag of donated groceries in hand, the group walked five kilometres to gain an understanding of the challenge the community faces.

To kick off the walk, University of Saskatchewan professor Rachel Engler-Stringer provided some startling facts about Saskatoon’s food availability. Although large portions of the city are considered a food desert, 75 per cent of residents are within walking distance of fast food.

Adults in these communities are significantly more likely to be overweight or obese, and children without access to healthy food have been found to experience serious weight problems, especially between kindergarten and grade three.

Not having access to healthy food in your community is not only physically challenging, says Engler-Stringer, but also takes an emotional and mental toll. If no one believes that a neighbourhood will supply healthy food, it can affect how residents view themselves.

Good Food Junction, a co-op grocery store associated with Station 20 West, hopes to soon replace this view with a message of hope and worthiness. The store, set to open in July 2012, plans to provide healthy and affordable food choices to a neighbourhood that saw all the big supermarkets pull out over a decade ago.

Since the provincial government pulled funding to Station 20 West in 2008, the project is far behind schedule. But with support from local churches and fundraisers, they hope they will be able to open debt free.

Although there are a lot of issues facing the core neighbourhoods, Engler-Stringer said Good Food Junction is a great start.

“It’s an important piece because it says to people, ‘It doesn’t matter where you live, it doesn’t matter what your income level is, your health is important.’ ”

As the group walked down 22nd Street West, many conversations turned to the issues causing poverty in Saskatoon. A resonating concern was the rising cost of housing. Many families, particularly those living in the core neighbourhoods, are spending up to 75 per cent of their incomes on living expenses, leaving very little for food.

One university student at the walk said the disparity between the rich and the poor in Saskatoon is escalating. Although Saskatchewan is growing, she said, the impoverished communities aren’t seeing the benefits of the provincial wealth.

She would like to see the university support more research in the area of poverty, more student engagement and awareness, and the prioritization of partnerships with local groups.

After the hour-long walk, which many families have to make on a regular basis while carrying heavy bags, the groceries were donated to Child Hunger and Education Program, or CHEP, an organization dedicated to ensuring good nutrition and food security in the city.

Many discussions were then focused on awareness and research about nutrition in the core areas. It was agreed that concrete solutions must be found and acted upon by both the government and the community if a lasting impact is to be made.

Awareness is only the first step in bringing change to our city. Those who are privileged need to understand what living in poverty is like so they can get involved in a practical way, which is what Poverty Awareness Week is about.

Saskatoon Anti-Poverty Coalition will host two more events this week where people can come show their support and learn about poverty in the city. On Oct. 20 from 7 to 9 p.m. is Empowering Voices, “An artistic gathering in the core” at St. Mary’s Parish Hall. On Oct. 21, starting at 5 p.m., there is a march across the Broadway Bridge called Hands Across the Bridge to acknowledge that poverty spans the whole city.

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Photo: Kendra Schreiner