Ahousaht First Nation wins change to limit sales of hard liquor in Tofino, B.C.
CBC
As of Tuesday, there are limits on the number of bottles of spirits a person can buy at the B.C. Liquor store in Tofino, a move that leaders of the Ahousaht First Nation were pushing for.
The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General said the limits apply to all customers at the store. Individuals can purchase a maximum of four bottles of spirits of any type packaged in plastic bottles of any size. The regulations do not apply to hospitality orders and special event permits.
Ahousaht Elected Chief Councillor Naasathluk (John Rampanen) said the First Nation had been advocating for a limit on alcohol sales per person. Naasathluk said Ahousaht has been considered a "dry reserve" for a number of years but bootlegging continues to flourish.
"It's a reality that our community faces on a daily basis, if not weekly," said Naasathluk.
Naasathluk said the change was a work in progress with the solicitor's general's office and he sees it as a win for Ahousaht — a community accessible only by boat, located about 20 kilometres from Tofino, the closest municipality.
Naasathluk said alcohol has been a contributing factor to many deaths in the community in recent years.
"We have experienced a very disproportionate rate of loss of life over the last several years," said Naasathluk.
Ahousaht has about 1,000 year-round residents and is under a state of emergency put in place in September after two young people in the community died within hours of each other in separate incidents.
"That cascaded into several other losses in our community, over the last two months, and now we're starting to see stabilization gradually resume in community," said Naasathluk.
Naasathluk said since the state of emergency things are improving with increased medical and mental health support from the province, and the changes to the liquor sales are part of that.
Naasathluk said the community needs more services for people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction in the community and they are working on implementing more harm reduction strategies. A new wellness centre was recently built, which Naasathluk said will open soon.
Hereditary Chief of the Ahousaht First Nation Hasheukumiss (Richard George) said, "This is not by any means going to solve our situation, it is going to slow it down to be more manageable."
Hasheukumiss said alcohol has been a problem in the community for many years and he has written several letters to the minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General on behalf of the hereditary chiefs explaining the devastating impacts bootlegging has on Ahousaht.
Hasheukumiss said there was nothing stopping bootleggers from purchasing large amounts of alcohol at the B.C. liquor stores and reselling it on reserve.
Students in Piapot First Nation near Regina got the chance to make their own horror movie trailers during a two-day crash course in film production, and now their trailers are facing off against ones made by other communities in an online film festival.
Scientists have discovered the oldest-known fossil of a giant tadpole that wriggled around over 160 million years ago, among the dinosaurs of the Jurassic Period.
A small number of Canadian doctors specializing in women's sexual health is trying to address what they say is a near-total lack of support for those suffering from common problems such as low libido, difficulty achieving orgasm and pain during intercourse.
More than 1,100 Indigenous youth shared their thoughts on reconciliation, community and their own futures in a report released Wednesday by Indigenous Youth Roots (IYR).
When we think of Canadian animals, cultural icons like the moose, beaver, or loon are probably first to come to mind — but according to a new study, the most distinct one from an evolutionary perspective is a small, strange-looking turtle.
As a pet owner and technician in emergency veterinary medicine, Denise Angus knows the importance of access to affordable care.