by Chris Meyers Almey
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 21/97) - Needing a driver's license to work doesn't win any sympathy in territorial court.

On Tuesday judge Michel Bourassa fined three men for impaired driving.

In one case, court heart that RCMP stopped three men on Nov. 6 at about 11 p.m. The driver blew .16 on the breathalyser, twice the limit of .08. The Alberta resident is in Yellowknife working for National Defence, transporting workers, tools and supplies.

Bourassa fined the driver $650 and lifted his licence and for three months, despite protestations that he needs to drive at his job.

On Dec. 21 at 2 a.m., police spotted a man having difficulty getting his key in the ignition on a Yellowknife street. When pulled over, he asked for a break, rambled about too much to drink, then blew .13 on the breathalyser.

In that case, the man also argued that he's the "sole bread winner of the family," and needs his licence to work.

He told Bourassa he had a drinking problem in the 1970s and quit through the 80s. He said he had worked 185 hours in 10 days, missed a flight due to foul weather and then had a quick drink before driving home.

"My apology to the people of Yellowknife for driving on the streets," the man said.

But Bourassa noted that "it's cheaper to take a $10 cab," and fined him $650. He added that he has no authority to offer the man a limited licence for this job. "I have no jurisdiction over that."

The third case involved someone phoning RCMP to complain about a drunk driver in a blue van early in the morning of Jan. 4. Court heard that police caught up with an impaired driver behind the fire hall at 3 a.m.

The driver told police that he had two cups of vodka, then blew double the legal limit of alcohol allowed, hitting .16 and .17.

He told court he babysits one child while his other four are in school and his wife takes a college course outside the city. The family lives on a $1,600 monthly social assistance cheque and needs transportation.

Handing the man a $650 fine, Bourassa said, "It's always the people who can't afford it -- who can't afford to lose their licence, who can't afford the fine."