Don’t hang around here anymore: Iqaluit mulls anti-loitering bylaw

Following a discussion Jan. 24.Iqaluit city councillors have asked the city’s chief bylaw officer, Kevin Sloboda, to draft a bylaw aimed at deterring persistent loitering in front of store entrances and other places.

“Any new law enacted has to be sensitive to the underlying social conditions that have contributed to the problem in the first place,” Sloboda said.

“It is not just as simple as adopting a new law, putting it through, and waiting to see what happens.”

Anyone shopping at Iqaluit’s two main grocery stores, who has walked past the gauntlets of drug dealers and homeless people who block entrances and intimidate some shoppers, can see there’s a problem.

But in drafting an anti-loitering bylaw, Sloboda said he would look at underlying issues, such as the men’s homeless shelter closing during the day.

And Sloboda said he will look at bylaws that have been passed in cities such as Vancouver and Calgary, where such laws have existed for many years.

Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern said she also sees a need for an anti-loitering bylaw as long it’s done with respect and doesn’t single out the most vulnerable people in the community.

“The primary concern seems to be about the individuals who are selling drugs in front of the grocery stores, rather than those persons who are homeless and have nowhere else to go,” Redfern said.

Redfern said she wants to ensure the bylaw targets that problem and does not go after vulnerable homeless people.

“One thing the city needs to do is have a discussion with the men’s shelter and look at ways to allow the shelter to stay open during the day,” she said.

Redfern said the issue will be discussed with the public safety committee, which includes RCMP members and employees of the Department of Health and Social Services.

“Unless you do really good policy analysis, your bylaws, even if they are well intentioned, can end up having unintended negative effects and harm,” she said.

“When you are drafting laws they need to be reasonable and enforceable and you need to have the necessary resources available to make them effective.”

John Bens, the manager of Arctic Ventures store, said that until now he hadn’t even thought about asking the city for an anti-loitering bylaw.

But Bens welcomes the proposed law.

However, to make a difference, there must be effective enforcement — and any new bylaw will need teeth.

“If there isn’t a sufficient deterrent in place, like sizeable fines, any proposed bylaw could prove to be ineffective,” Bens said.

To deter the persistent loitering and drug dealing that takes place on its front steps, Arctic Ventures has put speakers inside its porch blasting loiterers with loud Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and other unpopular types of music.

“I think the music works to some extent, because it is more difficult to talk if there is loud music playing,” Bens said.

“But obviously it hasn’t solved the problem. If a bylaw is passed it will give us something else in the arsenal and it takes all of the onus away from the us to try to discourage the loiterers.”