Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Jan 22/01) - It's time for a made-in-Nunavut Liquor Act.
Doing that will lead the territory's liquor board on a trip through nine Nunavut municipalities: Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk, Gjoa Haven, Arviat, Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet, Pond Inlet, Cape Dorset and Iqaluit.
Goo Arlooktoo, the chair of the regulatory body, said the board wants to make the act more suitable to Nunavummiut.
"The Nunavut Liquor Act is basically the NWT Liquor Act rubber-stamped with 'Nunavut' on it," explained Arlooktoo.
"We are interested in getting input from anybody who wants to give it," he said. There will be community meetings and radio call-in shows.
The board has a $90,000 budget and Arlooktoo said they can have an act in MLAs' hands in time for the fall session.
Issues likely to be raised during the tour include access to alcohol, hamlets with prohibition, the problem of bootlegging and whether or not a liquor outlet should be opened in the capital.
"Communities are struggling with their own problems and they want to discuss with somebody how they should deal with it," he said.
Iqaluit is expected to vote on the matter of a liquor store in the future.
"What I foresee is there will likely be a plebescite in the community on what they want to do. It's not something that's up to the Liquor Board," he said.
Arlooktoo also said the GN was in the process of taking over the administrative functions contracted out to the NWT Liquor Licensing Board for the last two years. That will be completed by the onset of the next fiscal year.
