Lydia Bardak to Yellowknife MLAs on liquor restrictions - It won't work

Contributed content Apr 17, 2020 9:18 AM

1810vanS2 — Sidney Cohen/NNSL photo Lydia Bardak, an advocate for the Coalition Against Family Violence, says the Department of Justice did away with five years of research and collaboration with the Native Women's Association of the NWT, the YWCA, the , Indigenous representatives when it remodeled the A New Day program last year.

Editor's note: Lydia Bardak, a longtime social issues advocate in Yellowknife, sent this note to Yellowknife MLAs Thursday evening after Justice Minister Caroline Wawzonek finally caved to demands from Indigenous leaders in the territory to impose restrictions on alcohol sales, limiting daily purchases to $200 and no more than six 375 mil bottles (mickeys) of spirits. We're reprinting her letter to MLAs here with her permission.

**Lydia Bardak** is a longtime advocate from Yellowknife's homeless population and a former city councillor and executive director of the John Howard Society. She can often be seen in court helping people navigate the legal system.

Geez, I know that everyone is trying their best...and it's hard to see what to do...Canada has tried various forms of prohibition of various substances since 1908 and never achieved any success (and let's face it, prohibition in this country has always been race-based and for 112 years has failed).

So the latest attempt...restricting the amount purchased...once again, Yellowknife comes out ahead. The limit here will be $400.00 per day and 12 mickeys, because of course anyone can go to both liquor stores without detection or send a partner in to make a second purchase...ahh, the challenges...may we all survive.

Is non-beverage alcohol, especially in the communities, being controlled? Cough syrup is a favourite in many communities, just saying...

Stay safe everyone :o) and moving forward, let's address the underlying causes of substance abuse.

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