Liquor restrictions coming to Colville Lake, N.W.T., after plebiscite
Colville Lake, N.W.T., community members have voted to limit the amount of alcohol in the community.
On Friday, the hamlet held a liquor plebiscite, which would place restrictions on the flow of alcohol entering the hamlet. Out of the 73 people who voted, 66 were in favour of the liquor regulations.
That means residents will soon have a new per-person daily limit, which will be either one 40-ounce bottle of liquor and a case of beer, or two bottles of wine and a case of beer.
Joseph Kochon, the band manager for Behdzi Ahda’ First Nation, said the amount of alcohol in the community is something that has concerned elders and community members for a long time.
While there is no liquor store in Colville Lake, he said a lack of liquor regulations has made things “unmanageable,” especially when the winter road is open and the flow of alcohol being brought into the community increases.
Now with the limitation secured, Kochon said introducing restrictions will give the police reasonable grounds to search people in the community.
“Anybody can come with a case of whiskey and there’s nothing you can do. But when the restrictions are in place, then the police can search someone and if they have maybe three bottles of whiskey, they could confiscate that,” he said.
The next step is determining how to enforce the new regulation, and sending the results of the vote to the Liquor Commission. The commission will then decide on the exact date the alcohol restriction will take effect.
Related Link:
Canada: RCMP say holiday booze ban in Nunavut hamlet not successful, CBC News
Finland: Finland’s six-year slump in alcohol sales ends, Yle News
United States: Envisioning recovery and rebuilding a life in the Alaskan Arctic, Alaska Public Media
