News Release: Public Service Alliance of Canada Supports Emergency Food Drive for Town of Churchill

Public Service Alliance of Canada Supports Emergency Food Drive for Town of Churchill

Thursday, April 26, 2018

WINNIPEG -  The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is pleased to support the Emergency Food Drive initiated by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Alumni Association. The PSAC Social Justice Fund, PSAC Prairie Region and the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE – a component of PSAC) are covering the cost of the air freight with the help and support of Calm Air, allowing for a reduced freight rate and ensuring all the food arrives in Churchill. 

“The people of Churchill are still facing a crisis, one year after the rail line was cut off as a result of flooding. With the rail line out of commission, food is scarce and when it is available it is often of poor quality and staggeringly expensive,” said Marianne Hladun, Regional Executive Vice-President of the PSAC-Prairie Region. “PSAC has been fighting since day one for an immediate fix to the rail line to help get Churchill back on its feet. Today’s donation is the least we can do to help relieve the pressure on this community that has suffered far too much.”

With the help of the Hungry Bears Food Bank in Churchill, food supplies will be distributed tomorrow (Friday, April 27, 2018) throughout the community, including to the School Breakfast Program, daycares and community members. 30,000 pounds of food supplies were raised for the Churchill community through the Emergency Food Drive.

As a result of this donation, monies raised for shipping the remaining food through a GoFundMe page initiated by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Alumni Association will be donated to the local school breakfast program. PSAC and UCTE will cover the full cost of shipping the food from Thompson to Churchilll.

“PSAC wants to commend everyone who has helped to organize this and other Emergency Food Drives, and everyone who has made donations,” said Hladun. “We want our members and all people in Churchill to know that continue to stand with them until this crisis has passed.  We urge both the federal and provincial governments to take immediate action get repairs started on the rail line.”

PSAC represents more than 170,000 workers across Canada, including more than 60 workers at the Port of Churchill through the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees (UCTE), a component of the PSAC that represents members working at Transport Canada, Canadian Coast Guard, Nav Canada, and airports across the country.

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