SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce says any candidates hoping for its support in the federal election will have to be prepared to support funding for a rehabilitation centre in Yellowknife.

Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce executive director Tim Doyle says Yellowknife needs a rehabilitation centre to help deal with the social problems driving business away from the city's downtown. Here, an unidentified man is arrested on 51 avenue after being found passed out nearby. - NNSL file photo

Chamber executive director Tim Doyle said issues of homelessness and drug and alcohol abuse in the city must be dealt with before Yellowknife sees revitalization the downtown core.

"The election couldn't have come at a better time and we do plan on making a federal election issue out of this," said Doyle. "All the candidates want our support. We will be hosting the candidate's forums and we are going to chase them on this. The business community has its own voice and they are not afraid to ask tough questions."

"We've had many businesses say they are not wanting to invest in their business fronts as long as they have to worry about vandalism, theft and fights breaking out in front of their shops," said Doyle. "It's getting worse and worse. At any time of day you can see people with open alcohol or selling drugs in front of A&W or drunks in the mall. The mall is not a place to sleep when you are drunk."

"This is not the sort of thing a chamber of commerce would normally be involved in, but we don't really have another option. If we want business to come back to the downtown core we have to deal with the underlying issues," said Doyle. "I strongly believe if we take care of these issues we will see business come back downtown."

Doyle envisions a centre where people can receive care for mental health issues and treatment for any substance abuse issues they may have.

"I would like to see something where if a person refuses to follow the rules of society, they are forced to receive treatment and get the help they need, whether they are facing mental health problems or drug problems or both. Then if they still don't want to conform, let the justice system deal with them," said Doyle. "But the justice system alone is not the answer."

The idea of a rehabilitation centre for the NWT has been brought up before. Last year former health minister and now Conservative candidate for the Western Arctic Sandy Lee shot down the idea, saying the NWT doesn't have the population to justify such a centre.

"I'm sure that will come back to reflect on her," said Doyle of Lee's comments. "If she wants to represent us, she had better be prepared to ask for the funding."

Chamber proposes 'board of volunteers'

The chamber is also looking to create a "board of volunteers" to look for ways to help revitalize downtown Yellowknife.

"In the next couple of weeks we hope to have set up a board of volunteers to come up with ideas for how to improve the downtown," said Doyle. "They would be a blue-sky group, meaning they are out, walking under the blue sky, looking for ways to help improve the city."

Doyle said the chamber is working hard to make sure all areas of business are represented in the group so that it won't be hijacked by special interests.

"They had done something similar in Saskatoon's Riversdale district and it worked out well, so that's where we got the idea. We're not looking to reinvent the wheel here."

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