More and more consumers are looking at healthy meal choices.

As a result, bison is becoming more prominent on grocery store shelves.

Bison is known to be a lean meat that is high in protein and nutrients, and low in calories making it a good dietary choice.

Federated Co-op, in collaboration with Wanuskewin Heritage Park, has launched a new line of bison products in Co-op food stores across Western Canada, with a portion of the proceeds going back to the non-profit park.  

Sav Bellissimo, FCL's Store Brands Manager says working with Wanuskewin they introduced a new line of bison products in the stores.

"We started off with four items a bison burger smoky bison jerky and then we did a bison meat stick as well."

He says the project started about two years ago when Wanuskewin approached them about developing bison products using their recipes. 

Products hit the store shelves in late October and they've seen strong consumer interest.

Bellissimo says all aspects of the project are uniquely Western Canadian starting from the packaging with Linus Woods an Ojibway-Dakota artist from the Long Plain First Nation in Southern Manitoba.

"I thought it was really, really cool that we're able to include three provinces in this. The bison coming from Alberta, the product manufactured here in Saskatchewan, and then the artist coming from Manitoba."

He notes a portion of the proceeds will stay at Wanuskewin to support cultural programming, moving toward a better collective understanding of Indigenous history and culture.