Paul Bickford
Hay River (June 27/05) - Alcohol sales in the NWT are growing, but bars are not sharing in the good times.

That may be because more drinkers are staying home so they can also enjoy a cigarette with their drink.

Five-year sales history of all types of alcohol in the NWT: 2000 - $29,613,000 2001 - $31,101,000 2002 - $33,082,000 2003 - $35,959,000 2004 - $36,667,000 Sales to licensees in 2004 - $9,291,000 Sales to licensees in 2003 - $9,993,000 Sales to consumers in 2004 - $27,386,000 Sales to consumers in 2003 - $25,966,000 Beer, spirits, wine or coolers as a percentage of sales: NWT: beer, 46.8 per cent; spirits, 39 per cent; wine, 10.6 per cent; coolers, 3.6 cent Yellowknife: beer, 45 per cent; spirits, 37 per cent; wine, 14 per cent; coolers, four per cent Inuvik: spirits, 48 per cent; beer, 41 per cent; wine, seven per cent; coolers, four per cent Hay River: beer, 57 per cent; spirits, 34 per cent; wine, six per cent; coolers, three per cent Fort Smith: beer, 55 per cent; spirits, 29 per cent; wine, 12 per cent; coolers, four per cent Norman Wells: beer, 52 per cent; spirits, 40 per cent; wine, five per cent; coolers, three per cent Fort Simpson: spirits, 54 per cent; beer, 42 per cent; wine, two per cent; coolers, two per cent

Sales at NWT bars were down by $702,000 for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004, compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, sales at liquor stores were up by $1.4 million.

The figures come from the annual report of the NWT Liquor Commission.

No one is terribly puzzled by the change.

"No smoking (in bars) would be one of the larger reasons," says Ron Courtoreille, general manager of the NWT Liquor Commission.

The Workers' Compensation Board banned smoking in virtually all workplaces, including bars and restaurants, in May of last year.

However, Courtoreille says the change has been happening for a couple of years, since the City of Yellowknife banned smoking in bars and restaurants in October 2003.

Bar owners around the NWT have noticed the decline.

Garth Mackie, the owner/operator of The Zoo in Hay River, says, since the bar has a smoking patio, no big decrease was noticed last summer.

However, that changed in August when the weather started to cool, he says. "It's a dramatic difference in sales compared to when smoking was allowed."

Mackie estimates The Zoo has lost about $200,000 in sales because of the smoking ban.

The bar owner says he hears many complaints from customers, saying they can smoke and drink at home so they don't need to go to a bar. "And you can't blame people," Mackie says.

Meika McDonald, the owner/operator of JJ's Rock 'n' Roll Lounge in Fort Smith, says there has definitely been a drop in the number of customers since the smoking ban.

McDonald notes the decline has occurred even though she has an outdoor smoking patio and has offered events to attract customers, such as karaoke night.

"You just have to be a bit more creative," she says.

At the Royal Canadian Legion in Inuvik, head bartender Dolores Church says there has been a slight decrease in the number of customers since the smoking ban.

"I think it's gone down a bit, but the regular customers still come in," Church says.

The statistics in the annual report also reveal some interesting findings about alcohol preferences.

Hay River leads the way in the percentage of beer sales. Fifty-seven per cent of alcohol sales in the community are beer, compared to the NWT average of 46 per cent.

As for spirits, they are most popular in Fort Simpson, where they make up 54 per cent of sales.

Wine is the most popular in Yellowknife, at 14 per cent of sales. Second place goes to Fort Smith at 12 per cent.