Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 20/01) - A former employee of the Yellowknife Women's Centre has accused the shelter of enabling women's bad habits.

Arlene Hache, executive director of the Yellowknife Women's Centre, admits sometimes intoxicated women are housed at the centre's shelter. - Jennifer McPhee/NNSL photo

"I always assumed the centre was there to help women and to show them life skills," said Sherry Boulet, who was fired July 5. "But it seems like there's a lot of garbage going on."

According to Boulet, she was fired after arriving at work a half hour prior to her shift to take several women to a garage sale. When they returned, Boulet was five or 10 minutes late for her shift.

"I did not leave my shift as they stated," she said. "I was let go unfairly."

Boulet is planning to file a complaint with the labour board.

Arlene Hache, the centre's executive director refused to comment on Boulet's dismissal.

Boulet claims women enter the shelter intoxicated, consume alcohol on the premises, stay there while vacationing in Yellowknife and rarely clean up after themselves.

"That place left a dirty taste in my mouth," she said. "Why should I live here in my house, when I could be getting everything for free? It's not right."

"There's a lot of good that can come out of the women's centre," she added. "But I didn't see it. I saw a lot of bureaucratic B.S."

Hache said they do sometimes overlook the rules. For example, she admits women often show up at night heavily intoxicated.

But Hache says she'd rather women were safely inside than alone and inebriated on the streets of Yellowknife.

"We have a couple of rules we hope people follow. But the real bottom line is women can stay here as long as they aren't violent," she said.

Does that mean women can drink inside?

"I'm confident that it does happen," said Hache. "At the same time, we try to make sure it doesn't happen."

"This is an emergency centre, not an addiction centre," she added. "It's purely meant to keep people safe."