Western Nunavut hamlet seeks ways to curb alcohol abuse

Cambridge Bay’s hamlet councillors want to look at how they can limit the damage caused by alcohol in their community. (FILE PHOTO)

An early morning collision Sept. 6 between two stolen all-terrain vehicles, driven by two intoxicated teens — one of whom suffered serious injuries—fueled a discussion on alcohol at a meeting of Cambridge Bay’s hamlet council that same evening.

Ideas suggested by councillors to stem the damage from alcohol in the community included returning the responsibility for handing out alcohol permits to the Government of Nunavut, taking a closer look at establishing a beer and wine store, doing more alcohol education and calling a town hall meeting for community input.

On hand to speak to the councillors at their Sept. 6 meeting was RCMP Sgt. Jean-Guy Lalonde, who delivered a monthly report with some grim statistics about the rising impact of alcohol in the western Nunavut community of about 1,700 people.

Incidents of sexual assault and impaired driving as well as calls for service where alcohol is involved have increased steadily since last year at this time, from two to five times over 2015.

The number of calls received last week in Cambridge Bay made it the busiest town police-wise in Nunavut, Lalonde said.

“I am a bit concerned,” said Lalonde, adding that the situation in Cambridge Bay won’t change unless action is taken.

Cambridge Bay, which last rejected a move for more control in a 2009 plebiscite, is a Nunavut community with no restrictions on alcohol purchases, but you do have to buy a permit before you can order in any alcohol.

Those permits are handed out by a private operation, unlike in Iqaluit or Rankin Inlet where you have to go to the GN office to file for a permit.

“Right now, there’s really no control on permits,” said Lalonde.

Meanwhile, the number of permits issued in Cambridge Bay has risen, along with bootlegging and drug trafficking.

In a non-binding vote held April 2015, Iqaluit residents said yes to the idea of a strictly controlled wine and beer store in their community.

The proposed outlet would require residents to set up a permanent account at the store through which they could make a daily purchase of one case of 12 beers and two bottles of wine.

Such a store in Cambridge Bay could help control bootlegging, some councillors suggested.

Lalonde also singled out the nearby TMAC Hope Bay gold mine as part of the cause of the increase in alcohol-related offences.

When people go in for two weeks to the mine and then come back to town, they have a lot of money in their pockets, but often they “don’t spend it on useful things, but on drugs and alcohol,” he said.