Colville Lake calls for more policing, considers local safety program to counter drugs

By Tamara Merritt

Leaders in Colville Lake are calling on the RCMP to increase their visits to the community due to the presence of drugs — something they say has been an ongoing concern.

Joseph Kochon, the community’s senior administrative officer, said the RCMP typically visit the community once a month, but officers haven’t made an appearance in the past three. 

The RCMP currently doesn’t have an attachment in the fly-in community of less than 200 people; the closest is in Fort Good Hope — over 150 kilometers away. 

“It seems … when they’re needed, they’re not here,” Joseph said. “It just doesn’t seem to be working out. So we’re going to have to take some extra steps ourselves.” 

Officers were in the community most recently on Feb. 19, RCMP said in an email to the CBC. 

“While routine patrols to communities such as Colville Lake are carefully planned, the realities of operating in remote northern areas can occasionally impact our ability to carry out scheduled visits,” the email said. 

It said patrols in January, March and April were cancelled because of “factors outside of police control,” such as a winter road closure, last-minute staff unavailability and mechanical issues with an aircraft. 

Presence of drugs is a concern, leaders say

“Should an urgent situation arise, officers would immediately respond by chartering an aircraft where needed,” the email said. 

Still, the presence of drugs in the community is a cause for concern for many residents, leaders say. 

Drugs often come into the community via the winter road or through the mail, said Joseph.

He added the circulation of the substances has created safety concerns, especially for parents, who are worried about their kids being exposed. 

Ryan Kochon is a councillor in Colville Lake and also a parent. He said he is worried about his own children and others in the community.

“The kids are the ones that they fall for it easy,” Ryan said, adding that people in the community are looking to their leaders to solve these issues. 

“We don’t have the authority to stop people from doing drugs or trying to slow down,” he said. 

This issue is something that Joseph said has been ongoing in the community for the last 20 to 30 years. Without definitive change currently on the horizon, the community council is looking to take some action itself. 

Joseph said the council has reached out to the Department of Justice Canada to secure funding to start their own community safety program. 

While the community council is still finalizing exactly what a solution could look like, Joseph said that it would include training up young people in community safety. 

Ryan said it might also look like establishing their own community police or bylaw officers. 

Neither are certain if or when they would receive funding, they said, but they said something in the community needs to change. 

“We’re just trying to make some noise out there,” Joseph said. “I guess our community safety is not taken seriously, so it gives the community the opportunity to seek further safety and take it on themselves.”

Canada: Nunavik residents rally against alcohol and drugs, amid rising rates of violence, CBC News