Finally, the debate came to a conclusion: Inuvik town council passed the bylaw allowing The Mad Trapper pub to open extra Sundays each year Wednesday, May 10.

The bylaw allows the pub to open another 16 Sundays per year during summer months, on top of the 10 it is already allowed. It was the second time Rick Adams, owner of the establishment, had brought the issue to council, and the second round of public meetings and debates about the issue.

Couns. Natasha Kulikowski, Kurt Wainman, Darrell Christie and Deputy Mayor Steve Baryluk voted in favour of the motion, with Couns. Vince Sharpe, Alana Mero and Joe Lavoie opposed. Coun. Clarence Wood was absent.

The vote didn鈥檛 seem to end the emotions on Wednesday night, though.

鈥淒isgusting,鈥� commented Sharpe following the vote, to which Christie took umbrage.

鈥淵ou heard me, totally disgusting鈥� responded Sharpe, before Mayor Jim McDonald intervened.

鈥淎s we said the other night, regardless of what happens tonight with the vote, life will go on in Inuvik,鈥� said McDonald. 鈥淲e still have a duty to the community鈥� Whether you agree with it or not, we still need to carry forth as an elected group.鈥�

The council meeting ended shortly after.

As councillors were stepping up to leave the chambers, a brief war of words ensued between Sharpe and Wainman, during which Wainman told Sharpe to 鈥済o cry outside鈥� multiple times.

A bit of an awkward silence fell as people shuffled out of the chamber.

Detox Centre moving forward

In the wake of the liquor debate, the treatment centre proposed by Joey Amos, manager of the John Wayne Kiktorak Centre, seems to be gaining support.

鈥淚鈥檓 not surprised that (the bylaw) got their approval,鈥� said Amos when asked for reaction.

He agreed with the argument that the bar opening or not wouldn鈥檛 limit people鈥檚 addiction issues.

鈥淧eople will find alcohol on Sundays if they want to drink, whether it鈥檚 from the bootleggers or they save it from the day before,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a problem we have in Inuvik.鈥�

Amos has officially sent off the forms to have the Beaufort Delta Detox Centre established as a non-profit society.

Bobbie Jo Greenland-Morgan, president of the Gwich鈥檌n Tribal Council, supports the detox centre proposal.

鈥淲e feel that, as leaders of aboriginal government of the Gwich鈥檌n settlement area, it鈥檚 very important we are involved, because the social wellbeing and the health of our people is interconnected to every file we work with,鈥� she said, naming economics, culture and more.

鈥淲e鈥檒l rise to prosperity much easier when we have a healthy people.鈥�

The GTC had request town council vote against the licensed premises bylaw, but accepts the decision.

Greenland-Morgan said there鈥檚 definite truth to the argument that people with alcohol issues will find their source whether or not the bar is open.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 argue against it,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or us, our point was having it open an extra day of course isn鈥檛 going to solve the problem, but it definitely isn鈥檛 helping either.鈥�

People who are suffering the worst can鈥檛 even afford to sit in a bar anyway, she added, but the message being sent by the town matters.

Greenland-Morgan thinks, in many ways, the problem of alcoholism in Inuvik has worsened over the years.

鈥淲orse in a sense too that when I was younger and growing up here, you didn鈥檛 see it so visible, like down mainstreet,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese are our friends and these are our family relatives. It鈥檚 people we know and that we care about.鈥�

Some people may have the coping skills or family support to overcome addiction on their own, she said, but those deep into the addiction need real intervention, which is where she sees a detox centre coming in to play.

鈥淚t鈥檚 sad because I believe everyone has a good side and everyone has value and a purpose, and sometimes when people tend to get so lost in addiction, they forget their own self-value and don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 a purpose, so they just stick to the life of addiction,鈥� she said.

鈥淭here are people who are very knowledgeable and skilled on the land and in cultural ways of life. They can change their path and live a healthy life again, but they need a lot of help.鈥�

The GTC is trying to work with the Department of Justice to change some of the laws around bail payouts, bootlegging and drug sales, hoping to crack down on some chronic problems in the communities.

鈥淲e know of sales of propane, glue, paint, anything that they can make money off,鈥� said Greenland-Morgan. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really concerning to know that there are people in the communities who continue to profit off other people鈥檚 addictions and misery.鈥�