Booze ban backers rally in Natuashish

Residents of the only dry community in Newfoundland and Labrador will debate Tuesday the future of a controversial alcohol ban.

Natuashish, a small Innu reserve on Labrador's northern coast, brought in prohibition measures just two years ago in a move to curb rampant alcoholism and violence in the community.

A community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday to revisit the ban, which newly elected chief Simeon Tshakapesh says has failed.

But on Monday, supporters of the ban marched through the community to rally others to keep the prohibition, which they say has dramatically improved the quality of life and curbed crime.

"That's what this walk is all about to be healthy and to be sober," said Mary-Jane Edmonds, who said the future of Natuashish was bleak until residents voted to ban alcohol. A subsequent change in the law allows the RCMP to lay charges against those found to have brought alcoholic products into the town.

But Tshakapesh, who was recently charged with violating the bylaw, said the original vote in 2008 was unfair, as it did not involve a secret ballot. Instead, people in the community lined up on different sides of a gymnasium.

Kathleen Benuen, the health director in Natuashish, said complaints about how the first vote was managed are not reason enough to repeal the ban.

"If we let alcohol into our community, it won't be safe for our children," said Benuen, who participated in Monday's march.

"We don't want any more child neglect, violence, suicides. We don't want any of those. We just want the community to be safe."

Tuesday's meeting is not expected to resolve the dispute. Instead, a date is expected to be set for a community vote.

Officials with the RCMP will attend the meeting. The force is asking residents to continue the ban, pointing to a 40 per cent drop in overall crime statistics, and a drop in violent crime of almost 50 per cent.

Simon Pokue, the newly elected deputy chief in Natuashish, said the ban has only enriched bootleggers, and that drinking has continued.

Benuen said she does not dispute that, but said dropping the ban is not the solution.

"People have ways of bringing in booze and still making money off of our people. When they make more money, kids go hungry in some families," she said.