Fort Providence (Aug 18/06) -A resident of Fort Providence is contending that teenage drinking and fighting was out of control during Mackenzie Days.

Agnes Silverthorn said the youth behaviour has been growing worse over the past seven years and peaked this year.

The festival was held from August 2-6.

Silverthorn wasn't in the community during the events, but said she heard reports from people who were. Silverthorn said she did see youth between the ages of 12-13 still drinking when she returned after the weekend.

She also returned to find her family's camp along the Mackenzie River ransacked.

More than half the firewood was missing and a shelter for drying meat was gone, Silverthorn said.

There were also empty beer bottles and blackened knives left behind.

Silverthorn said she worries about the youth's future. "It's getting worse, not better."

Community leaders should work together to fix the problem, Silverthorn said. Cpl. Gillian Poole with the Fort Providence RCMP detachment confirmed that youth intoxication was an issue over the Mackenzie Days weekend.

"There was a lot of youth intoxication that weekend," Poole said.

There were also a lot of people in the holding tank over the weekend, but more could have been put in if the RCMP had wanted to, Poole said. Some people were sent home instead.

Over the weekend, the RCMP heard reports of youth fighting.

A number of youth from outside the community fought with community youth on Friday night.

That fight was not reported, Poole said and it led to another fight on Saturday night.

Those involved included both young adults and youth, Poole said.

One assault is currently under investigation.

Poole said there haven't been any reports of vandalism on cabins.

For the weekend, three extra RCMP officers were brought into the community along with two highway patrol officers creating a total of seven officers on duty, Poole said.

Loretta Landry, one of the members of the four person Mackenzie Days committee, said the responsibility for the youths' actions lies with their parents.

"It's not Mackenzie Days' responsibility that people are not taking care of their children as they ought to," Landry said.

Many positive things come out of the festival, including the hand games tournament and people coming out for the talent show and canoe races, Landry said.

The community also pulls together as volunteers.

"This is something we look forward to as a community once a year," she said.

This year, the committee also worked together with the hamlet and the school to purchase nine canoes for the youth. A donation is also being made to the pool.

On Aug. 19, the committee is holding a mini- carnival for the youth, including a free swim and hotdogs. Landry also noted that the committee hosted a hand game tournament in March that they hope to make an annual event.

Landry admits that every year, some people don't look after their kids during the festival, but says it has nothing to do with the event.

"For something negative to come out of this from one person is disheartening," Landry said.

So far, no complaints have been brought to the hamlet office, said Albert Lafferty, the senior administrative officer.

All comments have been positive.

Lafferty also stated that the responsibility for children falls on their parents. "The hamlet is not in the child welfare business," he said.

The hamlet has an expectation that parents, even young parents, will be responsible for their children regardless of events that are taking place, Lafferty said.

The hamlet appreciates the hard effort put forward by the Mackenzie Days committee, Lafferty said.

"Overall we had a good Mackenzie Days this year," Lafferty said.