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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
With 12 compliance hearings scheduled over the past three weeks, the NWT Liquor Licensing Board is busy.

Colin Baile, chair of the NWT Liquor Licensing Board, said there are more hearings before the board than usual. - NNSL file photo

Colin Baile, chair of the board, acknowledges there are more hearings before the board than usual. He said this is due to the fact there was a three-month period where no hearings were set, while the position of chair transitioned to Baile from Don Kindt in the summer.

"The board wanted to clear up its pending list as quickly as possible because some of the matters were taking a little bit longer than we wanted," said Baile. "We decided to see if we could deal with all of them before the end of the calendar year. So we're having more now than we would typically have in any given period of time, but not necessarily more overall."

Baile said in 2011 there have been approximately 18 charges relating to liquor act violations in the NWT, while in 2010 there were 12.

He said the NWT Liquor Licensing Board is established to govern how liquor is sold and how people who are given licences to sell liquor are managed.

"I think the board needs to be cognisant of the environment in which the licence holders are operating – whether that's in Yellowknife or any other community – what the legislation says that they can and can't do," said Baile.

He said the board issues licences and then deals with allegations that people have violated the conditions of those licences or laws surrounding the sale and service of liquor.

The board is made up of the chair and five members – all roles which are appointed by the minister of finance for three-year-terms. Baile and one other member are from Yellowknife, and the NWT Liquor Licensing Board holds one member from each Inuvik, Norman Wells, Hay River and Fort Smith.

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