Projects, programs promote healing
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Fort Good Hope (Jan 08/01) - Fort Good Hope was once plagued by more social problems than any other community in the NWT.
That is changing, according to local RCMP. Community members and officers say that new programs, projects and changes to by-laws are healing a community deeply marked by a recent fatal snowmobile crash.
"Fort Good Hope was the busiest (outside Yellowknife) detachment for criminal code statistics in the NWT last year," said Const. Craig Seafoot, who came to the small hamlet last year.
"There are still a lot of social problems based on alcoholism. The education system is in terrible shape, not because of teachers, but because kids have a lack of discipline at home.
"Gambling is also a problem in the community," Seafort said.
Fort Good Hope's troubles were underlined in October when three young men died in the crash of two snowmobiles.
Five young adults were travelling from one party to another, three on one machine and two on the other, when they collided at high speed.
The deaths plunged the entire community into mourning.
"This accident might have been a booster shot to the community," Seafoot said.
Police and a community elders committee are developing new strategies to deal with alcohol consumption and snow mobile use.
"It is something they came to us for ideas for but it's their program and we said go for it," Seafoot said.
"The elders are basically frustrated with how the community is going."
The elders committee will offer guidance to youth and take them out on the land.
It will also work with the RCMP to develop methods of alternative justice.
A committee has been formed to deal with alcohol use. Fort Good Hope is a restricted community and allows a small amount of liquor per person per week.
Seafoot said bootlegging has been a significant problem. Late last year, RCMP confiscated alcohol that was being sold for as much as $200 a bottle.
"The liquor committee is setting up a board that from which each person must buy a permit, it will be stamped and sent to Norman Wells (where the liquor comes from)," Seafoot said.
"If we report anyone to them who causes problems related to alcohol they would be denied a permit."
Seafort said 12 residents have joined Citizens on Patrol, a group that serves as the eyes and ears of the community's three-member police force.
The K'asho Got'ine chief and council also moved to control the use of snowmobiles in the Fort Good Hope.
Two by-law enforcement officers have been hired and are "actively pursuing new snowmobile and helmet legislation in an effort to make our community a better place," said counsellor Ronald Pierrot.
