Booze back in Behchoko
Impaired driving reports up, assaults and mischief hold steady as community members adjust to new reality; potential liquor outlets to require rigourous approval process
Erin Steele
Northern News Services
Monday, July 10, 2017
BEHCHOKO/RAE-EDZO
Fewer Behchoko residents are getting slapped with liquor act infractions since alcohol became legal in the community earlier this year, but impaired driving occurrences more than doubled this June over last year.
: Behchoko's Chief Clifford Daniels says not much has changed since lifting the ban. - NNSL file photo |
Community members voted to remove Behchoko's liquor ban in December, flipping a vote that wedged it into place in 2009. The ban - which outlawed drinking, possessing, buying, selling or transporting alcohol - was officially lifted April 1.
In June there were 37 impaired driving occurrences, according to the RCMP's report to chief and council, up from 17 the previous June.
Behchoko Chief Clifford Daniels did not return calls for clarification regarding the impaired driving occurrences, but earlier told News/North that not much has changed since lifting the ban.
"We thought there might be an increase in liquor issues but it hasn't really happened," he said.
The RCMP report also shows causing a disturbance/mischief incidents up only slightly this June over last at 176 compared to 167, and assaults were down to 35 this June from 44 last.
The RCMP report also shows liquor act infractions dropped to 15 from 67 the previous June.
It was for this result Mabel Bohnet supported lifting the ban.
Bohnet lives in Edzo, which makes up Behchoko area with Rae and Frank Channel. She says the ban made criminals out of her friends and family - many who simply wanted to enjoy wine with dinner and on special occasions.
"A lot of people are with criminal records because they got caught with liquor. And with criminal records, for some people they can't get jobs at the mines or in the community," she said.
But despite being in favour of lifting the ban, she'd like to see more proactive measures in place.
"Education would be nice. They've talked about it before but nothing's happening now, so I don't know what the wait is. Maybe waiting for something bad to happen before somebody starts jumping, I don't know," she said.
Daniels agrees education is critical, but added counsellors and support is already in place through the Tlicho Community Services Agency.
"If there's further support required I guess we can address it but I think also education is important," he said, not elaborating on the specific form that education would take.
"Alcohol is not going to go away. It's always going to remain. It doesn't matter what you do. People decide to drink, you cannot stop that," he said. "Having it open and trying to educate our people is really the right way to go."
Mason Mantla was born and raised in Behchoko.
Though he currently lives in Vancouver for school, he's in Rae for the summer. He ran for chief in the June election that saw Daniels re-elected, and in doing so, said he heard from countless community members.
"I spoke with a lot of people who criticized the ban and really feel like it's been detrimental to the community, but I feel like this is just us peeling the scab. We have to start looking at healing, because finally we can see it in front of us," he said.
Specifically, he'd like to see more healing workshops in the community, on-the-land treatment options, a halfway house, shelters, a sobering facility, plus education on the dangers of alcohol.
Though residents are now free to drink and have alcohol in their homes, it remains to be seen whether it will actually be sold in the community, according to Larry Baran, Behchoko's senior administrative officer.
"That'll be coming up for discussion as to whether or not there'll be liquor outlets here.
At this point, that's something that would have to be presented at council," he said, adding that would kick off an application process that would include approval from the territorial finance minister.
The December plebiscite saw 346 in favour of lifting the ban and 95 opposed.
The vote that outlawed it in the first place had a much slimmer margin with 256 in favour of banning alcohol, and 237 opposed.
The impaired driving occurrences investigated by RCMP were the result of traffic stops and community members calling the police about suspected impaired driving, according to the RCMP report. Seven people were charged as a result, the report states.
News/North reached out to Monfwi MLA Jackson Lafferty, but he did not return requests for comments by press time.
