‘It’s like Las Vegas’: Iqaluit elder urges council to act on public drinking
Lew Phillip proposes limiting daily purchases at beer and wine store
Iqaluit elder Lew Phillip speaks to Iqaluit city councillors during a meeting Tuesday. He wants council to ask the GN to consider lowering daily purchase limits at the city’s beer and wine store. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
An Iqaluit elder wants city council to take action over public drinking — an issue he says has gotten worse since the city’s beer and wine store opened in 2017.
Lew Phillip, an educator and retired RCMP officer, asked council at Tuesday’s meeting to consider asking the Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Commission to lower purchase limits at the store.
Currently, people are allowed to purchase up to 24 cans of beer and coolers per day.
Speaking in Inuktitut, he said elders and children suffer the most from alcohol-related incidents in the community.
“It’s like Las Vegas,” Phillip said, describing the way he said he has seen people drink in public around Iqaluit.
“Our elders are in fear due to alcohol daily and through the night.”
Phillip pointed to Rankin Inlet which in September set a purchase limit of a maximum of 12 cans per day.
“Purchasing alcohol is way too much, I wonder if they can be cut a bit. I know that you can talk to government officials,” he told councillors.
Several councillors echoed Lew’s concerns.
Mayor Solomon Awa said he’s aware of the issue and council should discuss it.
Coun. Harry Flaherty said staff at the nearby Baffin Gas Bar have reported being assaulted by intoxicated people. Flaherty is president of Qikiqtaaluk Corp., which owns the gas bar.
He said he believes it’s only about two per cent of Iqaluit residents who cause problems. Nevertheless, he said council should take what Phillip said to heart and table a solution.
“It’s only been seven years and we hear [the] amount of problems that have been raised here in the public, here in the chamber, at the [legislative assembly], but we seem to be just going around in circles,” Flaherty said.
“There’s no accountability… I think as the city councillors, we could do better and we need to do better.”
For years, officials have been raising issues surrounding Iqaluit’s beer and wine store.
Former mayor Kenny Bell proposed closing down the store in 2022, but the GN said that would undo progress that’s been made to curb bootlegging.
Last summer, the RCMP warned residents of thefts that were happening in the vicinity of the store. Those incidents prompted the GN to hire security to patrol the site.
Iqaluit-Manirajak MLA Adam Arreak Lightstone, whose riding includes the store, rose in the legislature last fall to call for action on public intoxication.
Around 55 per cent of all service calls Iqaluit RCMP responded to last year involved alcohol, according to a monthly report Staff Sgt. Darrell Gill presented to city council at Tuesday’s meeting.
This isn’t an availability issue and to suggest otherwise is simply playing pretend and passing the buck.
I’ve traveled to countries with very lenient public intoxication and open container laws and they have far FAR less of an issue with problematic pubic intoxication. Even compared to the rest of North America.
This is a housing, culture, and education issue. And one that we clearly aren’t willing to approach honestly.
It can be an issue around housing, culture, and education, while limits can still be a reasonable measure to put in place.
There are limitations in place already.
Reduce them and the issue will persist.
Reduce them again and the issue will persist.
Close the store and dry the town up and the issue will persist.
Seriously though, lower the limits if that makes people feel better and like they’re accomplishing something. But do it with the understanding that you catharsis will be the only real benefit.
There might not be any silver bullets. Reduce the limits and the issues will not be solved, that’s true… however, negative effects will go down. And that is something worth consideration.
Like I said, lower the limits if it makes people feel like something is being done. Just don’t pat yourselves on the back and stop there.
I agree it is a housing, education and culture issue you just forgot that addiction is also a mental health issue, alcoholism is a disease.
Alcoholics will find a way to drink alcohol, they will find a way to get their fix with or without the beer and wine store, weather they start ordering hard liquor using import permits
The proper solution is to create and deliver culturally appropriate programs and services designed to give alcoholics opportunities to stay sober, that give them an option not to drink.
The problem did not get like this over night and to think reducing the daily limits is going to solve the problem over night is ludicrous, I would like to see the RCMP states in Rankin Inlet before and after they reduced the daily limits. Did the reduction is daily limits solve anything there or is the call volume still the same.
Short term pain for long term gain. Always going to be a hard sell in Nunavut where people would rather do away with a system (that has worked in other Inuit jurisdictions to reduce binge drinking and a culture of alcoholism), just because employees of a City councilor had to deal with rowdy customers.
The unregulated card games are also like Vegas. Police don’t care about illegal card games in nunavut. Also even government workers playing bingos and online poker during work hours.
Iqaluit sure has a beer and wine store and subsequently there are high levels of publicly intoxicated people. Pangnirtung is a dry community and the levels of public intoxication there are proportionate to the issues in the capital. It’s not about availability – it’s about not having moderation, not dealing with the underlying issues that people are presented with, and budgeting or prioritizing your life and needs.
In other words, being and adult and taking responsibility for your actions.
A blunt ‘proposal’ for a multi-faceted issue.
Why should my buying limits be affected for an issue I didn’t cause?
Because the great good and the well being of the community is more important than your personal consumption of alcohol.
I’m absolutely all for the great good and the well being of the community, but this is a blunt ‘proposal’ for a multi-faceted issue
The “greater good” implemented as policy is always ideological, never human.
The concern for a greater good–and greater responsibility–lies with the victim of the illness of alcoholism, who thinks not only less of others, but of themselves. No other person can see, address and correct that.
We don’t need more limits, but more support groups: Al-Anon, Alateen, and AA should be priorities.
Take you concern for “greater good” there, and not laze about wanting more oppressive rules of questionable merit.
I don’t think you really grasp what oppression means, you are in no way oppressed by limiting your daily limit at the beer and wine store, you also have the option of ordering your alcohol.
I find it interesting and funny some terms thrown around by people who think they are being oppressed.
It takes a community to look after a community, I know some of you like the ease of buying alcohol but there is more important things then that and its not about laziness or any other misplaced thoughts like that.
When you are an alcoholic you find every excuse to keep drinking even if it hurts you and your loved ones around you.
Too many alcoholics in control of our territory. I am hoping the younger generation will be smarter and sober not learning from the people before them and do a better job for our society.
When the GN started doing their studies into opening a beer and wine store here in Iqaluit they knew about all the issues and at the community consultations in Iqaluit majority of the people apposed the opening of the beer and wine store, the few who supported it and unfortunately were the decision makers.
It doesn’t help when transients ignore the social issues we have here and go ahead in supporting the beer and wine store for themselves and not thinking of the community.
The GN working backwards with the speed and capacity and putting a priority in opening a beer and wine store over treatment and or mental health facilities, or even elder care facilities for Iqaluit. The priorities of the GN is in the wrong place, who was the Minister responsible at the time that decided on opening a beer and wine store?
There was a Plebiscite vote in 2015, which garnered 1,126 to 326 in favour of store.
There was an official vote on this, so not sure what you mean by “Iqaluit majority of the people apposed the opening of the beer and wine store, the few who supported it and unfortunately were the decision makers.”
The residents voted for it
I was at the public consultation. Kinda hard to listen to people talk about alcohol making them a bad person and victims speaking of the abuse they suffered by 1 person. Then get up and speak in support of the store.
Many remaind silent in respect of alcohol abusers and their victims. I was one of them.
Continue to be laughing stock of the country; get to manage the resources, but not the misery.
How about a weekly limit?
Lower the daily limit and you’ll be forcing people to visit the store more often than is reasonable.
Good idea going all the way to b&w store is inconvenient for apex people
Completely agree. I’m one of those guys that might go once a week, at most. Honestly, I don’t like going there. The staff are not that personable, the store is circa Soviet Union, and you have those creepy people always standing around outside. I’m good with going back to sealift orders if the GN removes their permit requirement, you know, free trade in our own country.
Permits are required to transport alcohol between any provinces or territories. It has to do with collecting taxes, not permission. People get caught bring large amounts of beer between Quebec and NB or Quebec and Ontario makes the news every once and a while, its just easier to enforce in Nunavut because of how it is transported here.
This is quite inaccurate.
Since the Government removed federal restrictions in 2019, most of the Provinces have removed theirs as well. As far as I’m aware New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Territories are the only hold outs.
Seethe, cope and downvote all you want.
No permit is required to transport alcohol between most of the provinces in Canada.
It is interesting that alcohol is involved for a significant majority of crimes but so few people or policymakers will discuss curbing the use of alcohol. It is very lucrative for businesses and for tax collectors afterall.
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We spend a lot of time talking about programs, housing, counselling, detox centres etc. and funding those initiatives, which is fine, but there is such little conversation about stopping alcohol use to begin with or even worse, say that kind of conversation is off limits.
How would you propose to “stop alcohol use”?
I would charge $300 a flat for beer. I would then send those who are addicted to treatment with the proceeds. On return, I would pay $500 for every week they went alcohol free, atrended counselling weekly and attended work full time. They would then be paid $500 for every week they mentor a recovering addict and continue to work and be alcohol free.
I don’t drink but I’ll start so I can quit and get $500/week. Great idea, not.
I am going to quite drinking this week so i can get $500 next week so i can buy more booze.
How would you even know if someone drank or not?
I found it funny that in answering a stupid question with a stupid answer that people took this seriously…lol
I agree something needs to be done, this affects so many people, mainly the vulnerable and Inuit. Kids, babies and elders take the unfortunate brunt with at home issues, we need to show this ISNT a good way of life. Maybe more outreach programs?? Education etc. seeing parents loaded with small children is awful 😞 this shows kids it’s okay to behave like that and the issues continue into the next generation.
The GN, city and other officials need a task force of some sort to tackle the issues of alcohol along with drugs. Qanuli? Where to start…
One of the frustrating cyclical problems in Nunavut is that young people are often ONLY exposed to problem drinking. They develop the misunderstanding that it’s one extreme or the other.
I grew up seeing my dad drink a beer or two most nights. in 40 years I’ve NEVER seen him drunk. It was easy to avoid binge drinking because it was never normalized for us but responsible consumption was.
I agree, there’s also a historical difference since alcohol wasn’t always available to Inuit and affects them differently, similar to other cultures. Probably more outreach is needed to educate the younger ones yes, binge drinking may have been the norm in their environment but, there’s smarter and safer ways to enjoy a drink – which can emphasize the safety of not only them but their families too.
Something does need to be done, hope the officials are responsive to this.
Same story in Kuujjuaq, boozers on the go , none stop.
Things are better in Kuujjuaq now than the bootlegging days, whoops sorry, I mean “dry community” days… what are you talking about?
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Lowering limits just leads to more bootlegging which leads to more crime and higher prices. the higher prices lead to less money for families of drinkers.
Also leads to much more dangerous alcohol as well when bootleggers start homebrewing.
Something is not right when an individual feel the need to drink alcohol daily.
24 cans of beer is too much for a person to be consuming daily.
Elders shouldn’t have to have any fear when they go to bed, no matter what race or background they have!!
Something is wrong, so many functioning alcoholics here, drinking every day, when you have to drink every day or have to drink to have any kind of fun you know there is a problem.
What is really wrong is all the functioning alcoholics in good positions where they make decisions for our well being and prosperity. Helping to direct our territory within government or other organizations.
A lot of these people attend important meetings that affect our territory but their priorities are in the wrong place, most times what is more important is where are we gonna go for drinks after, where is the party gonna be. Can we get done with this meeting now so we can go party. They show up to meetings looking so tired and hangover, not prepared. Even if they are prepared their priorities are in the wrong place as it’s driven by drinking. A lot of growing up and maturity needs to be done.
6+ Working alcoholics downvoted you. “Who is this guy, my drinking doesn’t affect my job”
Said every alcoholic.
Ever.
The reason the B&W store open was to curb bootlegging, Reducing the amounts available will only drive people back into the bootlegger’s grasp. I do believe that drinking in public is a crime under Territorial laws. I bet if the councilor requests and allows a RCMP car to park in their parking lot and monitor the foot traffic that will deter these people that start to consume as soon as they leave the store.
Was it worse when we didn’t have the beer and wine store? For the RCMP the calls are up, we see more public drunkenness, more problems.
The beer and wine store did not make it better, it only made it easier to buy alcohol and the government makes money off of it.
It’s worse today with the beer and wine store.
Did the GN compare or study prevalence of bootlegging before and after the store came online? Is there any data to support this? Has anyone ever really enforced against bootleggers, particularly Inuit bootleggers, or does the RCMP sort of skirt the issue because it is not a criminal code offence? The GN is responsible for enforcing the liquor act and legislation, but do you see busts by RCMP more than once a quarter? you don’t see GN Justice prosecuting liquor offences do you? It’s a tired excuse that making booze more available at a government store helps solve the problem of illegal operations. Did legalizing pot drive any dealers out of business? lol not a chance, everyone on my hockey team orders illegal stuff through the mail now because there is not risk of a criminal offence.
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these are complex socioeconomic problems that need complex multipronged solutions. i just don’t know if have a bw store helps because there is no data either way. most governments make decisions based on evidence and not conjecture but the liquor commission thinks with its wallet first
I think you can get some data from the RCMP from before the beer and wine store opened to how it is today, The RCMP has presented at city meeting s about how much more calls they take today and how much are alcohol related. It doesn’t sound too good.
How about harder punishment for those who are drinking in public and other drinking related crimes. That way you are targeting the ones who desrve it and leaving the majority of us who are responsable drinkers alone
How about actually having people arrested, charged and put in prison for committing crimes.. has worked everywhere else for a long time..
Including the bootleggers. Why has no one suggested going after the bootleggers? People know who they are.
Because the beer and wine store is not considered bootlegging and it’s profitable for the GN.
Rankin reduced amounts and everyone I know that’s a responsible drinker that used to just stock up for the days when B&W closed, has just started bringing in hard liquor in their baggage when they travel again. No security in YK, Winnipeg flights don’t actually care, putting limits in place is just plain dumb. I used to be able to go 2X a week and get what I needed, now I just avoid the B&W and bring up bottles instead, less hassle. The reduction hasn’t changed anything at all, the drunks are still having the cops show up. I bet the number of calls hasn’t dropped at all since the reduced numbers.
Nunatsiaq should actually do a public story that compares all the cop call-outs related to alcohol and if they are the same people at all the calls. I bet the numbers are the same and that it’s still the same people.
We are going in the wrong direction – open up access even more but deal with the consequences harsher.
I agree with the elders lets reduce the limit to 1 beer a day. While we are at it lets reduce the bars to only allow them to sell patroness 1 drink per day. Heck lets reduce the amount that anyone can order in to 1 per day, and ensure we search incoming airline bags for only 1 a trip and search the post office, while we are at it lets search peoples houses and ensure that they don’t have more then 1 drink in their house.
And then lets start going after all the open/public weed smokers that are everywhere.
How totalitarian of you.
if I get 1 beer a day then you get 1 caribou per family per year.
As I have not been able to harvest a single caribou in 8 years, I will take your offer so you can have your 1 beer a day.
I do the same.
No one at YOW cares how many bottles there are in my luggage. Because why would they?
Eight bottles and a crate of pop will last us all year.
Wath ? a RCMP car park in order to monitor: what and how much i buy and wich store and what time we go shoping too ? you gotta be kidding,reminds me a country with no human rights that monitor its citizen closely to deport them to a re education and brainwash camp if you dont act as the leader wants to or are a political dissident, this exsit for real in the world, beside that, wondering,who the heck need to drink 24 beers ? its way too much, but the convenience to be able to buy more then we need for one day allow us to reduce our trip to the B&W store, wich requirs time and yes, taxi money and freeze outside. people i heard send other people (friends) to get some for them after they allready consume 24, they be no change even if they reduce it, just a pain in the botox to go back to,more often then we would have too when its 24 limits. why not just close the darn store then ? i dont need to buy my friends beer all the time, and i ll save money lol, ati, close it
Pain in the Botox 😂
I have worked in the past with some colleagues who, when I asked why they drank daily or every weekend, came up with an excuse that their spouse had left them, they lost a loved one, or they were going through hard times. etc., the list went on and on.
A person will always have an excuse to drink if they are drinking, to forget or numb the trigger, get the help you need, and fix the root of the reason why you drink daily or on weekends.
If you aren’t happy in a marriage, leave; leave if you aren’t glad where you work. If you are having issues at home, go… Is it all worth losing self-control, or let alone damaging your organs and future over it?
I don’t know if it is like Las Vegas, maybe just like most Cities in the south. Every downtown in every City in certain areas there are people with addition issues. It is just so much more in your face in Iqaluit.
Iqaluit should somehow adopt a law where you cannot be drunk in public, plain & simple. This way elders & kids would not have to deal with this issue in public or at the stores.
And where would these drunk people be put to sober up? RCMP does not have enough cells.
Wine make people get very sloppy / making them very dirty which was very noticeable and they could hardly talk when they have been drinking wine. It was very different from drinking whisky or beer to see them like that. It would be better if they stop selling wine. Or, stop selling all together in Nunavut. Abusing the children and Elders is not worse it. I know all about it. Forgiving takes time and when it comes, you will it is worth it.
The public is stupid to say the least. Among the voters are the idiots that take action. We can’t ban booze completely, we must however keep going after the ones that don’t hold their liquor well. Sensible, mature humans can overcome this immaturity among the idiots.
Arrest the abusive drinkers, order them into rehabilitation, order them to remain in rehab until they are dried out, and agree to abstain from drinking. And treat the druggie the same. Enough of this b.s. Repeat as necessary.
In fact, bootleggers support 100% restriction and permanent closure of beer and wine store.
I don’t drink but I’ll start so I can quit and get $500/week.
We all have to show our ID buying from the b&w store, presumably because they track if the person has hit their limit for the day. Why not link it to another system where offenses are recorded. Get caught drinking in public? No b&w or permits for a week. 2nd time, 3 weeks. Going through withdrawals in that time? Don’t drink outside throwing your cans on the ground then, and you’ll still get your beer. People who enjoy alcohol responsibly can continue to do so, and those who can’t drink responsibly face restrictions.
I think just need to start enforcement of the bylaw / law. No consumption of alcohol in public. People are drinking while they are walking / near school / stores it is everywhere. By-Law and RCMP should be confiscating and pouring the alcohol on the spot. If there is no enforcement people will do it…
I agree go after the boot leggers, though this wont happen because they often provide a service to the community (even beyond selling booze and dope). There are times they have lots of money (while they are selling) and buy things that are expensive. then they run out of booze or dope and need money (feed their family or they do get charged and hire a lawyer) so they sell the expensive stuff for a lot less then it is worth.
I think all the bootleggers should be punished and those that use to bootleg should not talk about it like they are proud they did it and got away with it.
And dont get me started on the IDIOTS that drink and drive (and IDIOT family/friends dont stop them)
Yes get every customer of the B&W to sign over their rights to privacy to the RCMP. Every B&W customer would have to sign a waiver that allows the RCMP to share their private information with the B&W.
Then we get into regulations, what offences would be grounds for suspending an individuals privilege to purchase alcohol? What checks and balances, would prevent the RCMP from filing false reports on people they do not like?
Former MLA Kaernerk would be a solid advisor on this subject. What happens in Iqaluit, stays in Iqaluit 🤑
He could start a consulting firm with Jack Anawak
I find this whole article offensive to the people of Las Vegas. What gives Inuit elders the right to make such judgements about Las Vegas? How many Inuit Elders have actually travelled to Las Vegas?
Maybe if your view on Inuit improved you wouldn’t find it so offensive, but then again it might not help you.
Maybe if your view improved on the people of Las Vegas, you might understand what I am saying?
I know you are trying to be funny but it’s bad taste and not really helpful.
It’s the bootleg liquor that is hurting inuit, not the b&w store. Bootleggers bringing mickeys of hard liqor on the planes, in the mail, on medical travel. Buying a case of beer vs a 60 pounder of red cap vodka is definitely not the same
Poking fun at someone’s substance abuse issues? Real classy
Sorry to burst your bubble but all the statistics show the number of calls have increased since the opening of the beer and wine store, hard to argue about that and we do see it in public, just going to the stores we see so many drunks.
and those calls are still the same 10 people as before the B&W… Whats your point?
Get your head out of the sand, it’s all kinds of people, people who had quit drinking for years have started again, people passing through Iqaluit, there is all kinds of people getting into trouble because of alcohol and how easy it is now to access it.
Alcoholics will say just about anything to make sure they can get their fix.
This. I saw so many people, people who owned their home and held down decent jobs for years, people who had no interest in the bar scene or sketchy bootleggers, suddenly bringing 2-4’s home, and the train wreck ensued, and the kids suffered. It’s on the individual, yes, but look a kid in the eyes and say that. They don’t care.
When there is a death where drinking is a factor then suspend sales for a period, a week or longer. Thus to give/allow people time to reflect on alcohol abuse/excess consumption and its effects. It could be a boating accident Or an assault Or alcohol poisoning, etc. And Part 2 crack down on the bootleggers during said suspensions. The kids too would be given a helpful rest/healing period.
When the beer and wine store first opened I commented on Nunatsiaq News you are adding fuel to an already raging 🔥 no one listened and it looks like there still not listening.
I moved up a few years ago, before the beer and wine store opened, it’s is very normal for me and my Southern friends and family to drink pretty much every day,, I think we drink more than people up here, we can’t function without alcohol. Unfortunately we are trying to and pretty much have brought this here in Nunavut, it’s more important the other infrastructure that’s needed here for us southerners.
To make improvements here northerners need to fill the jobs and not have the current transient population that only stays for a short period of time but decide on most things for Nunavut.
Only way things will improve up here.
No, Vegas is actually fun. It’s more like Skid Row in Los Angeles. It doesn’t help that Iqaluit is a dumping ground for ex-cons who are unwanted in their community. The safety of Iqalummiut matter too. We need to figure out a way where our city can feel safe again.