Demand grows for Saskatoon emergency shelters ahead of winter

Doctors in Saskatchewan have identified 27 cases of scurvy, a disease caused by a severe vitamin C deficiency, in the province’s north, renewing concerns of growing poverty and food insecurity in rural and remote regions of Canada.Scurvy, a disease remembered for afflicting sailors in centuries past, can lead to symptoms of weakness, fatigue and joint pains and, in more serious cases, swollen and bleeding gums and the loss of teeth. It can be treated with supplements or the consumption of vitamin-rich foods, such as oranges and rose hip, but can be life-threatening if left untreated.