Advance poll on Iqaluit beer and wine store plebiscite runs April 13-17

Iqaluit’s liquor warehouse. If the GN decides to go ahead with their proposed wine and beer store for Iqaluit, the store would likely occupy space in this building. (FILE PHOTO)

Elections Nunavut has a message for all Iqaluit voters: you can vote in the beer and wine store plebiscite advance vote, April 13 to April 17, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Bldg. 607, the BRCC building.

The advance poll will allow voters who cannot vote on the April 20 plebiscite date to vote on the Government of Nunavut’s proposal to open a wine and beer store in the city.

Voters with limited mobility are to cast ballots in a mobile poll April 13.

In the plebiscite, voters will be asked to answer this question: “Are you in favour of a beer and wine store opening in the City of Iqaluit?”

The plebiscite will ask voters to mark their ballots either Yes or No.

To vote, you must be a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years of age as of April 20, a Nunavut resident for the 12 months ending April 20 and a current resident of Iqaluit.

Elections Nunavut is organizing and supervising the vote.

At stake is a GN proposal to open a store in Iqaluit that would sell wine and beer only — no coolers or distilled alcohol of any kind would be sold there.

The store would work like this:

• a limit of one case of 12 beer and two bottles of wine each day for each purchaser;

• customers must set up a permanent account at the store;

• photo identification would be required for all purchases; and,

• the store would operate six days a week from Monday through Saturday and be open each day from noon until 7 p.m.

The plebiscite is non-binding but result — along with other factors — will influence the GN’s decision on whether to open the store.

If the GN decides to proceed, the earliest possible date for starting up the store would be the late summer of 2015.