The Department of Finance formally responded to the petition initiated by Cecelia Ayaruak to close the beer and wine store this summer.
In a letter dated Dec. 6 and also sent to Rankin InletSAӰӴýs council, Jeff Chown, deputy minister of the Department of Finance, told Ayaruak the department appreciates her initiative but SAӰӴýthere is no mechanism in the Liquor Act to close the store by way of petition or community plebiscite.SAӰӴý
When Ayaruak presented her petition to Rankin Inlet council Aug. 26, it had 184 signatures.
SAӰӴýI only did this because I really love my beautiful community,SAӰӴý she said at the time.
The subject of the beer and wine store, opened in late 2021, has been a common thread in hamlet chambers, as statistics and community reports seem to indicate worsening social ills.
SAӰӴýWe have heard concerns regarding the impact of the beer and wine store on the community, and we are working with hamlet officials to address the impacts in a way that also respects the votes of individuals who wanted the Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Commission to open a store to sell low alcohol content beer and wine,SAӰӴý wrote Chown.
Following that August meeting, the hamlet forwarded AyaruakSAӰӴýs petition to the Department of Finance. However, as the department told Kivalliq News at the time, the hamlet did not make a formal motion or endorsement of the petition, so the department simply took it as information.
Chown noted that daily purchase limits at the store have been halved and there is a new territory-wide limit on importing spirits.
SAӰӴýWe understand that this is likely not the response that you were hoping to get,SAӰӴý wrote Chown to end the letter. SAӰӴýWe are closely monitoring the impacts of the beer and wine store and will continue to work with hamlet council and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on ways we can improve community safety and store operations.SAӰӴý
ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑎᑎᖅᖃᒧᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥᑦ ᓯᓯᓕᐊ ᐅᔭᕈᐊᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᒃᑯᐊᖅᑕᐅᖁᑉᓗᒍ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᒃ ᐊᐅᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥᑦ.
ᑎᑎᖅᖃᒥᑦ ᐅᑉᓗᓕᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐋᒡᔪᓕᕐᕕᒃ 6-ᒥᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᓐᓄᑦ, ᔨᐊᕝ ᑦᓴᐅᓐ, ᒥᓂᔅᑕᐅᑉ ᑐᖏᓕᖓ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ, ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᔭᕈᐊᕐᒧᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᔭᖓ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᔭᖓ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ SAӰӴýᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕆᐊᕈᑎᑕᖃᙱᑦᑐᖅ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᐃᑦ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᕐᒥᑦ ᐅᒃᑯᐊᖅᓯᓂᐊᕐᓗᓂ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᑐᕐᓗᒍ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᑦ ᐊᐱᖅᖁᑏᑦ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᒃᑯᑦ.SAӰӴý
ᐊᔭᕈᐊᑉ ᑐᓂᖕᒪᒍᑦ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑯᓪᓕᕈᕐᕕᒃ 26-ᒥᑦ, 184 ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ.
SAӰӴýᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓕᐅᖅᑐᖓ ᐱᑦᑕᐅᒋᑦᑎᐊᕋᑉᑯ ᓄᓇᓕᑦᑎᐊᕙᒃᐳᑦ,SAӰӴý ᓯᓯᓕᐊ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᑯᓪᓕᕈᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ.
ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᒃ, ᐅᒃᑯᐃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ 2021 ᐃᓱᓕᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓᓂᑦ, ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᒐᔪᒃᑐᖅ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᕝᕕᖓᓂᑦ, ᐳᑭᖅᑕᓖᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒧᑦ ᐅᓂᑉᑳᖏᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᒪᔫᔭᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᓄᑦ ᐱᑦᑎᐊᖏᓐᓃᑦ.
SAӰӴýᑐᓴᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᐃᓱᒫᓘᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᓯᓯᒪᓂᖓᑕ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᒃ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒋᔭᕗᑦ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᓂᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᓯᓂᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᑕᐅᑦᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᒡᕕᒋᓂᖃᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᓂᕈᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᖕᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓱᐴᖅᑐᕐᓘᑎᓄᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ ᐅᒃᑯᐃᖅᓯᖁᔭᐅᑉᓗᑎᒃ ᓂᐅᕕᐊᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᓕᖕᓂᑦ ᐱᐊᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᐊᐃᓂᓂᑦ,SAӰӴý ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑐᖅ ᑦᓴᐅᓐ.
ᐊᑯᓪᓕᕈᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᓚᐅᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑐᓂᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓᑦ ᐊᔭᕈᐊᑉ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑎᑎᖅᖃᖅ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ, ᑮᓇᐅᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥᑦ ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ, ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᓅᑦᑎᓚᐅᖏᒻᒪᑕ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᒧᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᐅᒪᔾᔪᑎᐅᓂᖓᑐᑦ.
ᑦᓴᐅᓐ ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᖃᐅᑕᒫᑦ ᓂᐅᕕᖅᑕᐅᔪᖕᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ ᓇᑉᐸᖏᓐᓄᐊᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᑖᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᓗᒃᑖᒧᑦ ᑭᒡᓕᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᓕᖅᑐᑦ ᑎᑭᑎᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᐃᑦ.
SAӰӴýᑐᑭᓯᐊᔪᒍᑦ ᑭᐅᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐱᔭᐅᔪᒪᔫᓚᐅᖏᑦᑐᒃᓴᐅᔪᖅ,SAӰӴý ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑐᖅ ᑦᓴᐅᓐ ᐃᓱᐊᓂᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᖓᓂᑦ. SAӰӴýᖃᐅᔨᓴᑦᑎᐊᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᓯᓂᖓᑕ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᐅᑉ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐳᑭᖅᑕᓖᑦ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐱᐅᓯᒋᐊᖅᓯᔪᖕᓇᕐᒪᖔᑉᑕ ᓄᓇᓕᒃ ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᖅᑐᖃᕐᓂᐊᖏᓐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᒃ ᐊᐅᓛᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ.SAӰӴý