NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
In an effort to curb excessive alcohol consumption and subsequent social problems, many communities in the territory have held plebiscites that saw either alcohol prohibition or restrictions put in place.

"A lot of the elders and older folks like the idea of a dry community," said Chief Mike Matou of Nahanni Butte, where alcohol has been prohibited since before he can remember.

"I think it's more for the children and the small kids because they don't want small kids to be exposed to that sort of thing or to grow up with that kind of experience."

As recently as 2013, residents of Fort Good Hope voted narrowly in favour of banning alcohol from being flown into the community. The plebiscite followed the murder of 17-year-old Charlotte Lafferty, in which alcohol was reportedly a factor. The ban was overturned last August, following another vote sparked by a petition signed by more than 100 residents.

"There's talk about trying to do something but trying to restrict liquor coming into Fort Good Hope is not working," said Chief Junior McNeely.

"I don't think there is going to ever be a solution for that."

Currently, the community has alcohol restrictions, with only a limited amount flown in per person each week from the nearest liquor store in Norman Wells, McNeely said. For certain events, such as the Rampart Rendezvous over the August long weekend, the band enforces a full alcohol ban, signed off on by the Minister of Finance.

"When there are certain events going on everybody wants to seem to throw a big party, so to slow things down we put a ban in place and then no repacks come in," McNeely says.

Each week, he says the community of about 500 people sees flights bring in between 30 and 40 repacks – alcohol orders brought in from Norman Wells.

"It's visible, the drinking, because Fort Good Hope is so small," says McNeely.

No escape

In Yellowknife, you go down to the Gold Range and it's all there but if you don't want to see it you go somewhere else … over here, they're in the stores, there's no place for them to hang out so it's always there."

The visible effects of alcohol is also particularly visible in Behchoko, despite being a dry community, said Chief Clifford Daniels.

"It's a challenge, we're just right net door to Yellowknife and have lots of people that commute back and forth," said Daniels.

Alcohol has been prohibited in the community since before he was elected six years ago, Daniels said, and restrictions were in placed on liquor prior to that. While he said it is a sensitive issue for those who have lost loved ones in alcohol-related incidents, there is another side to prohibition that is causing problems for some community members.

"There are other concerns too, saying prohibition is really causing hardships to the community because of charges that wouldn't happen if it was open," Daniels said.

"That affects people trying to access jobs and you also find it's a hardship to some families with fines just for having booze within proximity."

For Daniels, the key issue is education on the impacts of alcohol, and dealing with addiction and mental health issues.

"I think there needs to be further engagement of the public. Our community has been in all of these situations in regards to prohibition, rationing but I really don't think it's really changed anything in the community," Daniels said.

"Let's not fool ourselves here, we have a prohibition but it's not working."

Public intoxication is still a problem in the community, Daniels said, with the RCMP's hands tied unless the person still has alcohol on them. Having prohibition in place, he said, also fosters illegal activity such as bootlegging – seeing people take advantage and create an underground market.

In Nahanni Butte, Matou said smuggling and violations of the prohibition have not been a major issue.

"(The ban is) something I hope we can keep in place for as long as we can," said Matou.

Daniels said in Behchoko, it may soon be time for another discussion to garner public opinion on whether the alcohol ban is working for community members.

"My community's been dealing with this alcohol issue for many years. There are pros and cons, people that have lost lives and friends and families, these sort of things and also it really hinders people from possibly getting jobs when you get fines," Daniels said.

"There has got to be a balance and understanding of how we can educate our people moving forward because just prohibiting it is just one way, we've tried so many things, it's time to educate."

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