The first day of Rankin InletSA国际影视传媒檚 new beer and wine store saw 444 customers spend just under $32,000 on alcoholic beverages.

SA国际影视传媒淭he opening went quite well,SA国际影视传媒� said Daniel Young, director of the Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Commission, referring to Dec. 4. SA国际影视传媒淚t was not overly busy like we had worried for opening day.SA国际影视传媒�

He commended the well-trained staff for their customer service.

Despite being the initial day operation, Young was impressed by the storeSA国际影视传媒檚 six staff plus a manager, whose average fill time per order was only 48 seconds.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was quite efficient,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Many comments on social media expressed pessimism and dismay about the store. Kivalliq News reached out to several commenters for additional thoughts.

Veronica Angotingoar said she cried when she saw news of the beer and wine store opening.

SA国际影视传媒淚t brought back a lot of sad memories when I saw that post,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e need a lot of things in Rankin other than a beer and wine store. LetSA国际影视传媒檚 look after our community, letSA国际影视传媒檚 look after our people first before we open up a wine and beer store.SA国际影视传媒�

She added that SA国际影视传媒渕aybe ISA国际影视传媒檓 just being a motherSA国际影视传媒� and recognized not everyone would agree with her. Traumatic visions from childhood inform her opinion now.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was a very young child during the time HudsonSA国际影视传媒檚 Bay in Rankin Inlet used to sell beer,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e seen what alcohol can do to people who cannot handle it, even within my own home. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 good for people who are able to handle it and just have a few and leave it, but itSA国际影视传媒檚 not that great for some people that cannot handle it.SA国际影视传媒�

Another commenter who chose to remain anonymous said there are pros and cons to everything.

SA国际影视传媒淚t can be good for people to purchase at a reasonable price instead of buying $150-200 bottles and then having to buy another one if they still want to continue,SA国际影视传媒� said the individual. SA国际影视传媒淧arents need to be accountable and make priorities.SA国际影视传媒�

Taina Aliyak Kubluitok noted that residents voted for the store and itSA国际影视传媒檚 good for those who occasionally drink alcohol at the end of the night. However, she worries about the potential for child neglect and Elder abuse.

She noted some of the negative repercussions she saw from the beer and wine store in Iqaluit this past summer.

SA国际影视传媒淢y boys ages seven and nine witnessed seeing a lot of drunks and happily saying that they saw a drunk,SA国际影视传媒� said Kubluitok, adding that the experience was an eye-opener for innocent children who donSA国际影视传媒檛 know whatSA国际影视传媒檚 good or bad yet.

Although most government operations shut down over the holidays, the beer and wine store will have a handful of opening days over the Christmas holidays. Young said this is to make sure thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a constant legal supply of low-alcohol content liquor for those who want to purchase alcohol. People can still purchase higher-alcohol content liquor from the NULC, but they have to order it instead of walking in to the store.

The journey to the Rankin Inlet liquor outlet began in 2012, when the Department of Finance initiated a task force to meet with every community in the territory to discuss the impacts of liquor and how things could be improved. One solution presented from the ensuing report was increasing access to low-alcohol content alcohol to change behaviours around binge drinking and other related harms.

SA国际影视传媒淓ssentially, the philosophy is if people want to have liquor, theySA国际影视传媒檙e going to get it,SA国际影视传媒� said Young. SA国际影视传媒淲e all recognize that bootlegging, and a lot of activities that possibly go along with that, are not good, and weSA国际影视传媒檙e looking at ways to change that by providing access.SA国际影视传媒�

In 2017, the beer and wine store opened in Iqaluit. That same year, Rankin Inlet voters chose in a plebiscite to have a similar store in their community.

Since the beer and wine store opened in Iqaluit, the amount of hard liquor being brought into the capital city has dropped by more than half.

SA国际影视传媒淲e think a lot of that drop has to do with people not having to rely on bootlegging anymore,SA国际影视传媒� said Young, adding that itSA国际影视传媒檚 difficult to track statistics in illegal markets.

He was proud of the Rankin Inlet teamSA国际影视传媒檚 work, especially being their first real day in action.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think anyone who comes into our store will see that theySA国际影视传媒檙e professional, and itSA国际影视传媒檚 a well-run operation,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淗opefully, they can see that weSA国际影视传媒檙e serving the community in the best way we see fit, knowing that not everybody is open to having a liquor store in their community.SA国际影视传媒�