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 Inlet’s council, Jeff Chown, deputy minister of the Department of Finance, told Ayaruak the department appreciates her initiative but “there is no mechanism in the Liquor Act to close the store by way of petition or community plebiscite.”
When Ayaruak presented her petition to Rankin Inlet council Aug. 26, it had 184 signatures.
“I only did this because I really love my beautiful community,” 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 RCMP statistics and community reports seem to indicate worsening social ills.
“We 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,” wrote Chown.
Following that August meeting, the hamlet forwarded Ayaruak’s 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.
“We understand that this is likely not the response that you were hoping to get,” wrote Chown to end the letter. “We 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.”
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 “ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕆᐊᕈᑎᑕᖃᙱᑦᑐᖅ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᐃᑦ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᐱᖁᔭᕐᒥᑦ ᐅᒃᑯᐊᖅᓯᓂᐊᕐᓗᓂ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᑐᕐᓗᒍ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᑦ ᐊᐱᖅᖁᑏᑦ ᒥᒃᓵᓄᑦ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᒃᑯᑦ.”
ᐊᔭᕈᐊᑉ ᑐᓂᖕᒪᒍᑦ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥᑦ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑯᓪᓕᕈᕐᕕᒃ 26-ᒥᑦ, 184 ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ.
“ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᓕᐅᖅᑐᖓ ᐱᑦᑕᐅᒋᑦᑎᐊᕋᑉᑯ ᓄᓇᓕᑦᑎᐊᕙᒃᐳᑦ,” ᓯᓯᓕᐊ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐊᑯᓪᓕᕈᕐᕕᖕᒥᑦ.
ᐱᔾᔪᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᒃ, ᐅᒃᑯᐃᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ 2021 ᐃᓱᓕᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓᓂᑦ, ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᒐᔪᒃᑐᖅ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᕝᕕᖓᓂᑦ, ᐳᑭᖅᑕᓖᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒧᑦ ᐅᓂᑉᑳᖏᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᒪᔫᔭᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᓄᑦ ᐱᑦᑎᐊᖏᓐᓃᑦ.
“ᑐᓴᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᐃᓱᒫᓘᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᓯᓯᒪᓂᖓᑕ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᒃ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒋᔭᕗᑦ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᓂᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᓯᓂᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᑕᐅᑦᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᒃᐱᒍᓱᒡᕕᒋᓂᖃᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᓂᕈᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᖕᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓱᐴᖅᑐᕐᓘᑎᓄᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ ᐅᒃᑯᐃᖅᓯᖁᔭᐅᑉᓗᑎᒃ ᓂᐅᕕᐊᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᓕᖕᓂᑦ ᐱᐊᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᐊᐃᓂᓂᑦ,” 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.
“ᑐᑭᓯᐊᔪᒍᑦ ᑭᐅᔾᔪᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐱᔭᐅᔪᒪᔫᓚᐅᖏᑦᑐᒃᓴᐅᔪᖅ,” ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑐᖅ ᑦᓴᐅᓐ ᐃᓱᐊᓂᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑕᖓᓂᑦ. “ᖃᐅᔨᓴᑦᑎᐊᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᓯᓂᖓᑕ ᐃᒥᐊᓗᒃᑖᕐᕕᐅᑉ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᖅᑕᕗᑦ ᕼᐋᒻᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᖏᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐳᑭᖅᑕᓖᑦ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐱᐅᓯᒋᐊᖅᓯᔪᖕᓇᕐᒪᖔᑉᑕ ᓄᓇᓕᒃ ᐊᑦᑕᕐᓇᖅᑐᖃᕐᓂᐊᖏᓐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᒃ ᐊᐅᓛᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ.”