Inuvik - Councillor Terry Halifax came under fire at Inuvik town council's Oct. 29 regular meeting for swearing at a group of teenagers last month.

Alice Thrasher, a mother of one of the teenagers Coun. Terry Halifax swore at, showed up to town council's Oct. 29 regular meeting looking for an apology from Halifax. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

The incident occurred on Sept. 28, the day of the extended blackout in Inuvik, when Halifax was travelling with Mayor Denny Rodgers in Halifax's truck. The pair encountered the small group of youths, all of whom are in their teens, standing on Mackenzie Road where they were photographing one another.

Halifax admitted to rolling down his window and swearing at them, but he insisted it was a knee-jerk reaction to their attitude.

"They loomed and sneered at me as if to say 'how dare you interrupt our conversation,' and with complete disdain. I was flabbergasted. I said 'you're standing on the effing road."

The criticism came from Alice Thrasher, a mother of one of the teenagers involved in the incident, who called Halifax's behaviour shocking, demanding an apology.

"If we ignore this, what kind of precedent does this send?" she said. "As an elected representative you have a responsibility to treat youth and other residents with respect and to act with honour."

Halifax didn't offer a direct apology and was mostly defensive about his actions when given the chance to speak during the near 30-minute discussion. But he did voice regret over the incident after Coun. Alana Mero said the case required Halifax to take the "high road."

"I agree with Councillor Mero," said Halifax." My language, it surprised me after I said it. That's not the way I talk to youth. I was just shocked and surprised by their attitudes. It just slipped out and it happens."

While Rodgers' said he wasn't trying to excuse Halifax's actions, he added the day was tension-filled because of the power failure and coupled by the fact the town has dealt with a recent rash of youth crime.

Thrasher balked at the argument, saying treating youth disrespectfully would only serve to exacerbate the problem.

"He could have talked to these children, you don't use the F word and yell at them," she said. "They felt threatened. They were discouraged. They did nothing to bring it upon themselves. They are just shocked and offended. They ask for an apology."

But Halifax, who's also a substitute teacher at Samuel Hearne Secondary School, took issue with Thrasher's point that the teens were offended by his words.

"I know some of these youth and several of them have been asked to leave my class.

"For them to be emotionally damaged, I think is a bit of stretch. They use that word with impunity. It's in the music they listen to every day. I don't think these 16 or 17-year-olds are going to be damaged by what I said."

Coun. Kurt Wainman didn't go as fas as to condone Halifax's actions but said youths crowding town streets can be problem, especially during rush hour, which he added sometimes leads to road rage.

But Mero stuck to her guns on the issue, agreeing with Thrasher that as councillors they have a responsibility to treat people with respect at all times.

"We need to be as polite to youth, adults and children as we expect them to be to us," she said. "That's a standard we need to adopt."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.