There was a lot of interest in the local radio channel Thursday night, June 29, in Rankin Inlet as the hamlet hosted a call-in show about the state of alcohol in the community with regards to the beer and wine store.
The store opened late 2021 and has been the subject of many discussions in the council chambers, with the RCMP recently urging the hamlet to address the situation, as many organizations report having their resources stretched dealing with the fallout of increased drinking in the community.
“The RCMP are just super busy,” said Coun. Michael Shouldice in the opening to the radio show, which was also hosted by Mayor Harry Towtongie, Deputy Mayor Martha Hickes and Coun. Chris Eccles.
“They had one weekend in one night they had 30 calls, with two guys on duty. It really kind of shocked the hamlet. We’ve had several discussions on it.”
Mental health workers have had their caseload increase by 90 per cent, said Shouldice, adding that it was reported to council that 980,000 cans of beer were sold in town last year.
Nunavut Housing Corporation, reported Shouldice, is also facing high costs and stresses repairing units.
“It’s not just holes in the wall anymore,” he said. “It’s staff that are abused while they’re trying to work in these units. It’s people who have kicked the toilet off, kicked the sink off the wall in the washroom… It has changed an awful lot now and it’s more extreme.”
And that’s in a community with no rehab centre, no proper safe shelter, no men’s shelter and no soup kitchen, added the councillor.
“Nurses don’t want to come here because it’s too busy,” said Shouldice, saying he was hearing the same from the RCMP. “It’s too much work.”
Community events are suffering too, he added, with intoxicated people at the ball diamond and square dances, and the need to even search diaper bags for alcohol at the arena.
Callers kept the local radio’s phone ringing off the hook for the full hour-and-a-half show.
One caller said their kids couldn’t play by Williamson Lake near the evening anymore because of intoxicated people, and another said the town has gotten worse ever since the store opened.
Many callers suggested setting up some sort of alcohol committee to discuss the impacts and ways forward. There were also suggestions to reduce the maximum limit for how much people can buy, as well as cut down hours or days the store is open.
Another caller said the town needs a treatment facility and more organizations to run activities for all ages throughout the year.
“This is exactly what we need,” chimed Coun. Chris Eccles during the show about all the suggestions flooding in.
After the show concluded, many people took to Facebook to remark that they wished the discussion could continue.
The store was originally approved by Rankin Inlet plebiscite voters in 2017, with 75 per cent of voters at the time supporting it.
ᐅᓄᖅᑐᑦ ᐅᖄᓚᕋᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᖄᓚᕋᖅᑎᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ Hᐊᒪᓚᑯ ᕿᑎᖅᖂ ᐅᓐᓄᖓᓂᒃ, ᔪᓂ 29. ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᓂ. ᐃᒥᐊᓗᓐᑖᕐᕕᒃ ᐱᔅᔪᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐊᑦᑐᐃᓂᖓ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒧᑦ.
ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᒃ ᐅᒃᑯᐃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ 2021-ᒥ ᐊᒪᓗ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᖃᑦᑕᐃᓇᖅᖢᓂ Hᐊᒻᒪᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐸᓕᓯᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᖁᔨᓕᖅᐳᑦ Hᐊᒪᓚᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᖁᓪᓗᒍ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒧᑦ. ᑎᒥᖃᖅᑎᐅᔪᑦ ᐃᖃᓇᐃᔭᕐᕖᑦ ᐸᕝᕕᓵᕆᔭᐅᕙᖕᓂᖏᓐᓄᓪᓗ. ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃ ᐱᔪᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ.
ᐸᓕᓯᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖃᕕᒡᔪᐊᖅᐳᑦ. ᐸᓕᓯᕋᓛᖅ ᒪᐃᑯ ᓲᑎᔅ, ᐅᒃᑯᐃᖅᑎᑎᖃᑕᐅᕗᑦ ᒪᐃᔭ ᑐᒡᓕᖓ ᒪᑕ Hᐊᓐᔅ ᐊᒪᓗ ᐸᓕᓯᓛᖅ ᑯᕆᔅ ᐃᑯᔅ
ᐅᓐᓄ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅ 30 ᐅᖄᓚᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ, ᒪᕈᒃ ᑲᒪᓪᓗᑎ ᐅᖃᓗᑎᒥᒃ. Hᐊᒪᓚᒃᑯᓐᓄ ᖁᒃᓴᒡᓚᖕᓇᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ. ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᕈᓘᔭᓚᐅᖅᐸᕗ.
ᐃᓱᒪᓕᕆᔨ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖏ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖏᑦ ᐃᒥᓱᕈᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂᓗ 90%-ᒥᒃ, )ᑎᔅ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ, ᐃᓚᓯᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᖃᕈᒪᔭᒻᒥᓂᒃ, 980,000 ᕕᐊ ᓂᐅᕈᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᕋᓂ.
ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᐃᒡᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᖏᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᒥᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᖑᒪᑎᔪᓐᓂᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᐱᔭᕆᒃᑐᖅᖢᓂᓗ, ᐊᑭᑦᑐᕈᑎᒋᓪᓗᓂᐅᒃ ᐊᑭᓕᒃᓴᓄᑦ.
ᐃᑭᐊᕐᒥᒃᑯᑦ ᓱᕋᒃᓴᐃᑐᐃᓇᕈᓐᓃᕐᒪᑕ, ᐃᖃᓇᐃᔭᕐᕕᑦ ᐸᕝᕕᓴᒃᑕᐅᓗᐊᓕᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᓪᓗ, ᓱᕋᒃᑎᖅᕆᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᓇᕐᕕᓂᒃ, ᖁᕐᕖᔭᐃᓪᓗᑎᑦ, ᐅᐊᓴᕐᕖᔭᐃᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ. ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᑐᒻᒪᕆᐅᖕᒪᑦ ᐱᓗᐊᑲᓐᓂᓕᖅᖢᑎᒡᓗ.
ᓄᓇᓕᒡᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᕕᖃᖏᖦᖢᓂ, ᓱᓂᐅᒪᔪᓄᓪᓗ ᐅᐸᒡᕕᖃᖏᖢᑎᒃ, ᐊᖑᑎᓄᑦ ᐅᐸᒡᕕᒃᑕᖃᖏᒃᑭᓪᓗᓂ, ᐊᒪᓗ ᐊᑭᖃᙱᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᓂᕆᔭᖅᑐᕐᕕᖃᖏᖦᖢᑎᒃ. ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑲᑎᒪᔨ.
ᐃᖢᐊᖅᓴᐃᔩᑦ ᑕᒪᐅᖓᕈᒪᔪᓐᓃᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᕈᓘᔭᕐᓇᓗᐊᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ. ᐅᖃᖅᐳ ᓲᑎᔅ, ᑐᓴᕆᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐸᓕᓯᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᓐᓇᓗᐊᖅᑐᐊᓘᓂᖓᓄᑦ.
ᑲᑎᖓᕈᓗᔭᕐᕕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓪᓗ ᑭᐱᖑᐃᔭᕐᕖᑦ ᐊᑲᐅᖏᑦᑐᒃᑰᕆᕗᑦ, ᐊᖓᔮᖅᑐᓄ ᐱᔾᔪᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ, ᒥᒧᕆᐊᖅᑐᓂ ᐅᓚᕕᓴᐃᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᓯᐊᕆᔮᕐᕕᖕᒥᓪᓗ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕆᐊᖃᖃᑦᑕᒻᒪᕆᓕᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒡᒋᕐᒪᖓᑦ Hᐊᑭᐅᑉ ᓂᕈᒥᐊᒐᕐᔪᐊᖓᑕ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ.
ᐅᖃᓘᑎ ᓯᕙᓃᓇᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ.
ᐃᓚᖓ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᕿᑐᖓᒋᒃ ᐊᓂᕋᔭᒍᓐᓇᐃᓕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐅᓐᓄᓵᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᓯᖓᓐᓂᒃ, ᐊᖓᔮᖅᑐᑦ ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᓪᓗᒋᑦ, ᐃᓚᖓᓗ
ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᒃ ᐊᑲᐅᔪᓐᓃᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᒃᑕᖃᓕᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᖅ.
ᐃᓚᖓᓗᖅ ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓱᒪᓕᐅᕆᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᕿᒃᓱᐃᖁᔨᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᖕᓄᑦ ᐊᔪᕈᑎᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᓕᐅᖁᔨᓪᓗᓂ, ᑕᒪᓇ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᓐ ᐊᑲᐅᖏᓕᐅᕈᑕᐅᓗᐊᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ. ᐃᓱᒪᓕᐅᕆᔪᖃᑲᓐᓂᕆᓕᓗᓂ ᑭᓪᓕᖃᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕈᓐᓇᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒪᓗ ᐊᑲᕐᕋᑭᒡᓕᒋᐊᕐᓗᒍ.
ᐃᓚᖓ ᐅᖃᕆᕗᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᕕᒃᑕᖁᔨᓪᓗᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᖑᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔩᑦ ᑭᐱᖑᐃᔭᐃᔾᔫᒥᓗᑎᒃ ᑭᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂ. ᐊᑐᖁᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᐱᒃᑯᒋᔭᐅᕗᑦ, ᐸᓕᓯᕋᓛᖅ ᑯᕆᔅ ᐃᑯᔅ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ.
ᐱᓂᑲᓗᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒡᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᖃᕆᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᖃᕋᑎᒌᒃᑲᓂᖅᐴᒃ ᐊᑯᓂᑲᓂᐅᓪᓗᐊᖃᐅᓂᖓᓂᒃ ᐅᖄᓚᖃᑦᑕᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᖅ. ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᒃ ᐃᖏᖃᑎᒃᒋᖕᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᖏᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥᐅᓂᒃ 2017-ᒥ, 75% ᐱᖁᔨᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ.