The 33-year-old woman received a 14-day sentence to be served on weekends in Yellowknife police cells. She is also prohibited from driving for eight months.

Territorial court Judge Brian Brusser said he could not ignore the fact that she was driving under the influence while her young daughter was in the car.

Other unique circumstances included the time of the incident, which was close to the morning rush hour, a blood-alcohol level of twice the legal limit and the fact she had only a learner's driving permit.

Defence lawyer Steve Eichler told court the woman has a long struggle to get away from alcohol abuse. She moved out of her home in Cambridge Bay to escape her family's history of problems with alcohol.

As a teen, she received counselling for alcohol abuse. This lack of judgement, said Eichler, was provoked by her father's stroke.

In handing down the intermittent sentence, Brusser said he didn't want to disrupt the child's life by forcing her into a day care for two weeks.