Kugluktuk votes for alcohol committee

Residents in the Nunavut hamlet of Kugluktuk voted Monday to change the way alcohol is dealt with in their community.

Of the 360 people who cast ballots in Monday's local plebiscite, 65 per cent voted in favour of setting up an alcohol education committee, which will decide who may consume, possess, purchase or transport liquor in the hamlet.

The proposal had to receive at least 60 per cent of valid votes for it to succeed.

About 33 per cent voted against the idea, while six ballots were rejected. Voter turnout in the plebsicite was 51 per cent, according to a release issued by Elections Nunavut on Tuesday.

In addition how liquor can be handled within the hamlet, the committee will also determine who can import liquor into the community, and how much.

Kugluktuk is a hamlet of about 1,300, located 430 kilometres west of Cambridge Bay in western Nunavut.

Like many northern communities, Kugluktuk has been dealing with social issues arising from alcohol abuse, from public mischief and all-night partying to violence and suicide.

Some Nunavut communities already have restrictions on the amount of alcohol that can be brought into the community.

Over the summer, the Kugluktuk hamlet council imposed a temporary liquor ban while the local RCMP detachment underwent renovations. Police reported fewer calls they had to handle while the ban was in place.