CLASSIFIEDSADVERTISINGSPECIAL ISSUESONLINE SPORTSOBITUARIESNORTHERN JOBSTENDERS

NNSL Photo/Graphic


Canadian North

Home page text size buttonsbigger textsmall textText size Email this articleE-mail this page

Public drunkenness in spotlight
Store owner goes to council, RCMP becoming involved

Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, July 4, 2013

INUVIK
Problems with loitering and substance abuse in downtown Inuvik heated up at a council meeting June 26.

NNSL photo/graphic

Inuvik council is still working on cracking down on people loitering in the downtown core, sometimes causing a disturbance and exhibiting public drunkenness. A few arrests were made last week, which has relieved the situation somewhat, with the street people spending more time in less visible locations, such as behind the Alforno's Restaurant. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

Arlene Hansen, the owner of Originals on Mackenzie, appeared as an unscheduled speaker at the start of the meeting. Hansen said she was furious over the growing numbers of people who are loitering and drinking near her store at the corner of Mackenzie Road and Tununuk Place following an angry confrontation earlier in the day.

Hansen's plea followed a heated discussion at a committee meeting two days before, when several councillors, notably Kurt Wainman, asked for people exhibiting public drunkenness to be "cleaned up."

"They're like ravens," Wainman said at that meeting.

Hansen spent several minutes talking to the council about what she said is an ongoing and increasing problem.

"I thought it was against the law to consume alcohol and be drunk in public," she said. "There's a non-stop party everyday in town with extremely profane language and that's not acceptable."

Hansen said she had a customer leave her store on the day of her unscheduled delegation at council because of the behaviour of a group of people sitting on the parking curbs outside Originals.

When she went outside to "tell them to move on," the argument grew heated.

Critical of response

Hansen was also highly critical of the Inuvik RCMP's handling of the problem

"I don't think they love our community the way we do," she said. "They're doing a very limited job. When they're here, this is their home, and they should love it like we do."

Hansen said she's seen RCMP officers drive by groups of people openly drinking near her store without stopping.

She added officers have been rude to her when she's called to ask for assistance about the situation.

"It's just wrong and I want it addressed," she said.

Mayor Floyd Roland was the only council member to respond to her comments. He spoke in some detail about a discussion he had Wednesday afternoon with Staff-Sgt. Dennis McLeod about the problems downtown.

"We had quite a discussion about this Monday night, and I met with the RCMP."

He asked for foot and possibly bike patrols downtown, and Roland said McLeod was agreeable.

The town is also looking at widening the scope of powers for its bylaw officers, including possibly licensing them as liquor inspectors. This would give them expanded powers to deal with public drinking and inebriation.

The officers will also start walking a beat downtown, although Roland said he didn't have a specific timeline for that to begin.

As well, he noted public intoxication carries a fine of approximately $200. However, the police need people to file a formal complaint that can be taken to court, Roland added.

Roland said he believed many of the people hanging out in the downtown core might not be able to pay such a fine, and would have to "work their way through the system."

The next day, Hansen took Roland's advice and filed a formal complaint in the afternoon when people again gathered in front of her store.

Hansen said "two or three" were taken away after they refused to leave, although the majority of the group did comply with her request.

At a special council meeting that night, Roland mentioned he had been discussing the issue with both the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the Gwich'in Tribal Council. He said both groups were more than willing to help out with the situation by making space for any aboriginals convicted of an offence to go for rehabilitation camp.

After the meeting, Roland said the situation was a bit of a tragedy, since many of the people causing problems downtown would thrive if they were "out on the land." He said they simply don't handle urban living well.

Newton Grey, the president of the Inuvik Chamber of Commerce, said problems downtown were due to a lack of social services.

"The homeless shelter can't afford to entertain them during the day," Grey said. "Some of these people literally have nowhere to go."

The Inuvik Homeless Shelter typically closes its doors between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., meaning anyone using its services has to go elsewhere during the day.

Grey said he thinks there's an opportunity for the town to find a creative solution to the problem, suggesting the possibility of designating an area, such as Chief Jim Koe Park, as a location that anyone using the town's social services must help to maintain and clean up.

Idle hands, he said, will lead to increasing problems for the town, such as drug trafficking, if the situation is not addressed in its early stages.

E-mailWe welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.