Communities vote to keep liquor restrictions
Plebiscite to move to unrestricted system shot down in three hamlets
Laura Busch
Northern News Services
Published Monday, March 3, 2014
NUNAVUT
Three Nunavut communities recently decided to maintain the status quo when it comes to regulating alcohol.
Arviat, Chesterfield Inlet and Kugluktuk held plebiscites on Feb. 24 that asked voters if they would support an unrestricted alcohol system where only the general liquor laws of Nunavut would apply. The answer across the board was no.
The highest percentage of yes votes were cast in Kugluktuk, where 44 per cent said they would support lifting current restrictions. Residents there must apply through the alcohol education committee in order to bring alcohol into the community. The committee has set the weekly household limit at one 60-ounce bottle, one 40-ounce and one 26-ounce bottle of liquor, plus four litres of wine and 24 beer.
Heading into the Kugluktuk vote, students and other community members held three rallies to convince voters to shoot down the proposed changes. The first march on Feb. 7 drew more than 300 residents, most of them students who are too young to vote in the plebiscite.
Voter turnout was high in Kugluktuk at 64.8 per cent. Fifty-six per cent of the 410 ballots cast voted no.
Chesterfield Inlet residents voted to maintain their restricted system, which is similar to the system in Kugluktuk.
There, just over 32 per cent of 196 eligible voters cast a ballot, with 60 per cent of voters saying no to an unrestricted system.
In Arviat, the question put to voters was whether or not they supported lifting the alcohol prohibition in the community, changing to an unrestricted system.
There, two-thirds of eligible voters made their way to the voting box on Feb. 24 to have their say. Sixty-nine per cent of voters said no, maintaining Arviat's status as a dry community.
In order to hold a plebiscite on liquor restrictions, a petition must gather at least 20 signatures from eligible voters.
The way alcohol is managed in a hamlet would only have changed if 60 per cent of ballots cast had voted yes to the proposed changes.
Feb. 24 results of liquor plebiscites
Residents in each community were asked: "Are you in favour of ending the current system (of liquor prohibition in Arviat or liquor restriction in Chesterfield Inlet or Kugluktuk) and having an unrestricted system where only the general liquor laws of Nunavut apply?" Here are the results.
Arviat:
- Total voters on list: 1,102
- Total votes cast: 735
- Yes votes: 226 (31 per cent)
- No votes: 509 (69 per cent)
Chesterfield Inlet:
- Total voters on list: 196
- Total votes cast: 63
- Yes votes: 25 (40 per cent)
- No votes: 38 (60 per cent)
Kugluktuk:
- Total voters on list: 633
- Total votes cast: 410
- Yes votes: 180 (44 per cent)
- No votes: 230 (56 per cent)
- Rejected ballots: One
Source: Elections Nunavut
