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INUVIK
Several Inuvik councillors say they've had enough of public drunkenness and loitering in town.

Several Inuvik councillors are grumbling about the growing number of people they say are making a nuisance of themselves by being drunk in public and loitering in high-profile locations downtown such as the corner of Mackenzie Road and Tununuk Place. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

Councillor Melinda Gillis brought up the issue June 24 toward the end of a town council meeting. She asked whether or not anything could be done by the town's bylaw officers to address the problem.

That query opened a floodgate of complaints, with a number of her colleagues eager to join the discussion.

"Can't we just clean them up?" asked Coun. Kurt Wainman. "It's tourist season. They're like ravens hanging around."

At the centre of the debate are the groups of people that congregate at some of the main points downtown, including the corner of Mackenzie Road, Tununuk Place and Kingmingya Road near the Alforno Restaurant and NorthMart.

Mayor Floyd Roland also mentioned the defunct Eskimo Inn as another spot where too many people lurk.

While it's been an ongoing problem over the years, it was clear the council members thought it had escalated this year.

"It's unfortunate," said Roland. "The steps of the Eskimo Inn are lined with them."

Roland also mentioned seeing a group of people not far from the park along the river a few days ago who "were well into it" while a family tried to have a picnic nearby.

Councillor Clarence Wood also jumped into the fray. He compared getting into NorthMart to "running a gauntlet" past people panhandling for money who are "aggressive."

Roland said he had discussed the issue with the RCMP detachment. He said the detachment commander had advised him that people needed to be willing to file a formal complaint before they would take action.

Wood scoffed at that notion.

"Who wants to go to court because of some drunks on the sidewalk?" he asked.

Councillor Terry Halifax asked why there couldn't be charges laid for vagrancy. He also mentioned damage in various places around town, including the footbridge over the Boot Lake Trail and the gazebo, which he attributed to the problem with public drunkenness.

Halifax said the bridge had suffered enough damage that welding repairs would have to be done.

However, public services director Rock Campbell said he had checked the bridge Monday afternoon and found no such damage.

"Someone must have fixed it," he told Halifax.

Fire Chief Jim Sawkins, who now manages the bylaw department as well, said he was encouraging his constables to start walking beats downtown with the goal of "moving the people along" to different areas in an attempt to dislodge them from the usual gathering spots.

Roland said he would "lean on the GNWT to devote more resources" to social services and programs.

Councillor Alana Mero said "the problem is always there and won't go away" with more enforcement provisions.

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