Yellowknife (Mar 22/04) - John Simpson has participated in dozens of disciplinary hearings during his six years on the NWT Liquor Licensing Board, but he says one incident a little over 14 months ago stands out above the rest.

The date was Dec. 10, 2002, when the Caribou Bar in Hay River was brought before the board on nearly half a dozen charges of allowing drunkenness on the premises, including allowing an 80-year-old woman to pass out in her own vomit.

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing," said Simpson, now chair of the Liquor Licensing Board.

The Caribou was slapped with a 30-day closure and fined $5,000.

For Simpson, the case served as a poignant reminder of the dangers of alcohol abuse and the importance of regulating what happens in places with liquor licenses.

"The simple reality is that people can die from drinking too much. It's our responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen."

The board has been criticized in recent days by the media, politicians, social groups and the hospitality industry for being both too lenient and too strict.

Despite the flak, Simpson said the six-person board is committed to tackling substance abuse in the NWT.

"We're not against people having fun," he said. "We're against people getting intoxicated to the point that they become a danger to themselves and others."

Simpson would like to see increased training and pay for liquor board inspectors.

Inspectors are paid $25 per inspection but aren't compensated for the time it takes to testify before the board.

"They're busy and they have lives and jobs, so it's only fair that they be paid for coming before the board," Simpson said.

Some suggest the relatively infrequent number of charges -- less than 15 are typically laid every year from roughly 7,000 inspections done by liquor board employees and the RCMP -- is due to the fact that inspectors aren't paid beyond the initial inspection.

But Simpson said the real reason is that inspectors are advised to use discretion when it comes to handing out tickets.

"People often say to me that you can find a drunk person in any bar any night of the week," Simpson said.

"But that's not what we're overly concerned with. We're worried about the people who are so drunk they're a danger to themselves and others."

Tough week

Simpson said his most difficult time on the board came two weeks ago, when members were thrust into the spotlight during a series of high profile hearings in Yellowknife.

In one case, a charge against the Top Knight, which is partially owned by former MLA Gordon Wray, was dropped by the Department of Justice amid accusations of favouritism.

"It was hard," Simpson said of the days of hearings. "I didn't get a lot of sleep."

Simpson, who owns his own consulting firm in Yellowknife, smiled when asked why he puts himself through the endless criticism.

"I feel like I have a civic duty to try and improve the situation as much as I can," he said. "We still have a lot of work to do."