Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Apr 17/00) - At first glance, it seems that Nunavummiut are consuming a lot more alcohol.

Almost $1 million more to be exact.

However, after a closer look at the facts and figures, it's apparent that the increase in alcohol sales has more to do with the population boom than with the territory's drinking habits.

"It means there's just more people, that's what I think," said Chris Wilson, the manager of Nunavut's only liquor warehouse.

"Like milk, bread and housing, the demands for liquor increased too. I don't think people are drinking heavier, I just think there's a lot more people," he said.

Responsible for filling personal consumption orders outside of Iqaluit as well as filling the orders of public license holders -- like the Tulugaq Bar or the Royal Canadian Legion -- Wilson also issues import permits and fills ordinary and retail special occasion permits.

That means he's in a perfect position to comment on the territory's alcohol consumption.

"Our workload here has dramatically increased," said Wilson, adding that he actually had to take on a third employee to deal with the heightened workload.

"It's actually worked out to a 27 per cent or about a $900,000 increase in liquor inventory over last year," he said.

More specifically, Wilson said orders for personal consumption to communities increased by roughly $200,000, orders for new liquor license holders raised sales by approximately $100,000, and orders for Iqaluit's existing licensed establishments rose by roughly $600,000.

"In 1999, I had approximately $2.6 million in sales and this year I had about $3.5 million," explained Wilson.

Diane Webb, the general manager of the Navigator Inn in Iqaluit, has also noticed the boom in sales, but said it had more to do with travellers than residents.

"Business has been good since last April," said Webb.

"But I haven't really seen much increase in local traffic. It's been more of an increase in hotel traffic," she said.

So much so that the lounge is in the process of applying to the Nunavut Liquor Board to increase their occupancy from 37 to 55 seats. "We need the increase for the hotel guests. We just don't have enough room," said Webb.

As for the number of imbibers who choose to stay home, Wilson said he also noted the territory's import permits have risen dramatically. That he attributed to the new system that came into effect on April 1, 1999, which required residents, after Nunavut separated from the NWT, to acquire import permits if bringing more than 12 beer or one 40-ounce bottle of liquor into the territory.

"The import permits are up too. I used to only get them in the summer before, with the sealift, but now, we get some every day," he said.