Inuvik unanimously passes bad behaviour bylaw citing waning economy, officer safety

If you're caught acting indecently in public, you can now be fined for it in the town of Inuvik, N.W.T.

Council voted unanimously Wednesday in favour of a new bylaw to control public behaviour. Seven out of nine council members were present at the meeting; Counc. Kurt Wainman and Ray Solotki were absent.

The fines range from $50 for spitting, $75 for loitering, to as high as $500 for littering. 

Counc. Paul MacDonald said there was a need for the bylaw to address a change in public behaviour since the slowing economy. He said the legislation "puts tools in the tool box" for municipal enforcement and RCMP.

"It's a bylaw to try to curb some behaviours that have been happening in the community during our economic downturn over the last several years," MacDonald said.

"It allows them the opportunity to not charge somebody as a criminal offence ... which could have long-lasting implications."

[It[ gives our peace officers the opportunity to be protected from things like being spit in the face.- Natasha Kulikowski, Mayor of Inuvik

MacDonald said the town looked to a similar bylaw in Calgary. He said he thinks the town is feeling the effects of the economy and that "people's stress levels are higher, their tolerance for things is a lot lower."

"It's not the happy enjoyable place ... at specific times, when finances are tough and power rates keep going up and taxes often go up," he said.

"It's just a way for municipal enforcement to try to keep people in check and to behave properly, especially around children."

Advocates concerned of 'insensitive' bylaw

However some advocates for homeless and vulnerable population raised concerns with the bylaw, including Joey Amos, former manager of the John Wayne Kiktorak Centre, a warming centre in Inuvik. Amos called it "insensitive" and a target to the vulnerable population in town on Wednesday.

Lydia Bardak, a past Yellowknife city councillor and advocate for homelessness outreach, said the bylaw is a backwards approach to deal with social issues.

Mayor Natasha Kulikowski said the bylaw is in place for the safety of peace officers, which she described as a constant concern.

"[It[ gives our peace officers the opportunity to be protected from things like being spit in the face," Kulikowski said. "That's where we're building it from."

MacDonald said he doesn't think the fines will be doled out "to the extent people are concerned about."

"It's a small community, we all have to live and work together," MacDonald said.

He added that if bylaw officers become "heavy-handed" in their utilization of the new rules, he will be "one of the first councillors to bring it back to the table."

Three other bylaw updates were passed Wednesday night, including modernizing the fire department bylaw to remove the restriction of how far it will respond to calls.

As well, the age of taxis were changed from 10 years to 15 and fines were increased for people who are found scavenging at the dump during times when the facility is closed to the activity.