Judging by a Sept. 19 public meeting, it appears many people in Hay River are less than enthusiastic about the coming legislation of the recreational use of cannabis. "I just think that this whole initiative is regressive," said Jane Groenewegen, former Hay River South MLA and a former minister of Health and Social Services. Groenewegen said legalization next year by the federal government will go against efforts to counter substance abuse in the NWT and trying to encourage people to make healthy choices. [continues 725 words]
In 2008, some students at a Hay River high school approached administration with concerns that drug and alcohol abuse had gotten out of control among their friends. One felt a couple of his friends had dropped out of school because of it. That was the spark that led to the creation of the Hay River Drug and Alcohol Strategy. The administration of Diamond Jenness Secondary School (DJSS) took the concerns to Jill Taylor, who has become the driving force of the strategy involving 32 different organizations in an inter-agency group. [continues 887 words]
Hay River Ponders New Way To Halt Vendors Of Drug Paraphernalia HAY RIVER - The Town of Hay River is considering a new approach in its attempt to stop roadside vendors of drug-related paraphernalia from coming to the community. Originally, town council had wondered if there was some way to ban just those particular travelling salespeople from the town. However, council discovered it could not legally do so. The town is now proposing to amend its business licence bylaw to prevent all "canvassers, hawkers and peddlers" from setting up on town property. [continues 324 words]
Drugs Suspected In Teen's Hospitalization Drugs Suspected In Teen's Hospitalization SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Drug use is suspected in the case of a thirteen-year-old Yellowknife girl found unresponsive in her home on Feb. 20. The teenager had been out with friends the night of Feb. 19, RCMP Sgt. Wayne Norris said. Her parents checked on her in the early morning of Feb. 20 and found her "unresponsive and not breathing." The RCMP were called at 3:15 a.m. The girl was then taken to Stanton Regional Hospital before being transported to Edmonton. Norris said the RCMP are treating the case as suspicious. [continues 277 words]
HAY RIVER - The Town of Hay River is considering seeking a legal opinion on whether it can ban roadside vendors selling drug-related paraphernalia. Mayor Kelly Schofield suggested the town look into whether it can legally pass such a bylaw. At the Feb. 8 meeting of council, Schofield explained he wanted to stop the sale of marijuana flags, knives and various drug tools, such as pipes and roach clips. "We need to try to protect our kids," he said. Schofield's idea got support from council. [continues 206 words]
The Town Of Hay River Is Examining Whether It Can Lawfully Regulate What Can Be Sold Within The Town Limits. Hay River Mayor Kelly Schofield said the Town's lawyers were contacted earlier this month to examine the matter. The Town's current business license bylaw regulates the licensing of businesses in Hay River, but not the type of business or the merchandise sold by the business. Schofield said he is taking direct aim at vendors who sell knives, marijuana flags and pipes, and other drug paraphernalia. Schofield said he knows there are potential human rights issues with the plan. [continues 308 words]
In the article "Judge cracks down on dope dealers" in the Jan. 27 issue of Yellowknifer, in sentencing two people convicted of trafficking in marijuana Judge Bernadette Schmaltz stated that she had to render a serious sentence that would discourage others from taking part in the drug trade. As common as this fallacious reasoning is, it becomes no more sensible today than it was during the time of alcohol prohibition in the 1920s or in Ottoman Turkey when coffee was prohibited. There has always been a ready supply of any consumer product that is made illegal by a government willing to give a moral judgement the force of law. [continues 122 words]
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Two young men will spend several months in jail after unrelated convictions for possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking, which one lawyer says reflects a move toward longer drug sentences. "We're seeing the beginning of a trend on the part of the court to impose harsher sentences for trafficking-type offences, including marijuana," said defence lawyer Stephen Shabala, who represented one of the convicted men. "Harsh sentences will deter some people, but at the end of the day, we'll still have some individuals still willing to take the risk and engage in the trade." [continues 429 words]
Thirteen Aboriginal students now have the tools to stand up against addictions, thanks to a successfully-completed DARE program at Chief Sunrise Education Centre. DARE, which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is a program used to educate school-aged children about the risks of drugs, alcohol, and other addictions. Taught by the RCMP, the program offers the facts about these vices and provides children with tools that will help them make educated choices when in the face of peer pressure. [continues 384 words]
Emrah Bulatci has been found guilty of first-degree murder for the 2007 shooting that resulted in the death of RCMP officer Christopher Worden in Hay River. Bulatci was sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility of parole for 25 years. The 25-year-old broke down and cried when the 12-member jury's verdict was read Nov. 19 in Yellowknife Supreme Court. "The verdict of guilty to first-degree murder allows us some solace as to justice being served for the crime," said RCMP Chief Superintendent Tom Middleton. "It does not, however, lessen the pain of the loss." [continues 234 words]
HAY RIVER - In Hay River, there was satisfaction with the guilty verdict levied against Emrah Bulatci, the man who gunned down an RCMP officer in the community last year. "I'm ecstatic, I'm relieved and I'm happy for our community, the Worden family and the RCMP," said Mayor Kelly Schofield. The mayor added the verdict was just and the sentence fits the crime. Schofield said the community is still recovering from being shattered by the murder. "This closes a chapter, but the book is not over by any means," he said. [continues 366 words]
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Emrah Bulatci may be going to prison for at least 25 years but the widow of the RCMP officer he shot two years ago said that won't make up the void he's left in her life, the life of their two-year-old daughter and his family. Jodie Worden cried as she addressed a packed courtroom Thursday and read two victim impact statements, one she prepared on behalf of their two-year-old daughter. [continues 779 words]
Death 'An Unfortunate Event That Changed Our Community for The Better,' Mayor Says Hay River pastor Vivian Smith does not believe in revenge. For the most part, she was sad when she learned Emrah Bulatci had been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2007 death of RCMP Const. Christopher Worden. Sad because two families have been destroyed and all because of drugs. Still, like most of the town's 4,000 residents, she was relieved. "An innocent man who was upholding the law got killed. A child is without a father, a wife is without a husband, and sometimes justice has to be served. It really does," she said. "Healing is coming. [continues 413 words]
YELLOWKNIFE -- An Alberta man was found guilty Thursday of first-degree murder for shooting an RCMP officer four times at close range during a foot chase in the Northwest Territories. Emrah Bulatci will spend at least 25 years in prison for gunning down Const. Christopher Worden, 30, in Hay River, N.W.T., in 2007. Worden's widow, Jodie, was in tears before the jury entered court Thursday morning. The constable's family gasped when the verdict was announced. Several wept. [continues 561 words]
Two Years After Murder, Town Gathers For Vigil To Honour Slain RCMP Officer HAY RIVER - Residents in Hay River came together to remember RCMP Const. Christopher Worden last Tuesday night, two years after he was shot and killed while on duty. More than 50 people gathered as the first sub-zero wind of the season whipped through Hay River. Meeting at city hall, people handed out candles and spoke in hushed tones. The vigil proceeded to the RCMP station, where event organizer Kevin Wallington said a prayer and encouraged people to share memories of Worden. [continues 633 words]
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Focusing on lowering the spread of HIV and hepatitis C was the main topic of a seminar held in Ndilo this week. The NWT HIV and Hepatitis C Support Network held the workshop on Tuesday in an effort to better inform the community. Instead of trying to force people to quit habits that lead to the spread, the focus was on keeping drug abusers safe from harm. Trevor Stratton, a Toronto-based aboriginal AIDS activist, spoke at the seminar and gave a personal account of being affected by HIV after his diagnosis in 1990. [continues 584 words]
Yellowknife RCMP have prided themselves on being tough on drugs. With that in mind, the slow response from the police earlier this month after a Frame Lake resident reported 97 suspicious baggies littering neighbourhood yards is nothing short of discouraging. The suggestion from a dispatcher and a staff sergeant that police officers were too busy to show up, especially given it was Super Soccer weekend, isn't adequate. Building confidence in its police force is essential to a strong community, which in this case has been dealt a blow, at least for the Frame Lake woman who said she feels she was "blown off" by the RCMP. Most police officers are hard working, dedicated professionals. They should be given credit for creating early awareness around the dangerous drug ecstasy, blamed for the deaths of a few teens in Alberta in recent months. Recognizing that drugs which are a problem in Alberta often find their way to the NWT, police were quick to get the word out to the public here last week. So they have a handle on the "proactive" part, which the RCMP likes to emphasize. Now they have to improve on the responsive end. The next time a call is made about suspected drug paraphernalia, it shouldn't take two days to get a response. [end]
INUVIK - The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides too much protection for crack traffickers and is a shield for criminal enterprise, according to Const. Sean Doornbos of the Inuvik RCMP detachment. Those comments came on Thursday, a day after the April 8 crack bust where thousands of dollars and an undisclosed quantity of crack were seized from Mountain View Apartments. The case is still under investigation and RCMP have identified suspects. Doornbos estimated the crack trade in Inuvik generates $100,000 a week and the problem is serious. [continues 265 words]
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - NWT residents may be surprised to know that a needle exchange program has been in place in the territory since 1991. When asked, neither Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro or Mayor Gordon Van Tighem knew the program existed, though the mayor said he assumed one was likely operating in Yellowknife. "I know they exist, I know what they're for, and I assumed there was one here," said Van Tighem. The program is a "harm reduction" measure that allows intravenous drug users access to free needles in an attempt to thwart the spread of transmittable diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV. [continues 576 words]
Concerned citizens are rallying against drugs in their community by getting together and facing the issue head on. Community members are forming a community drug strategy to deal with drugs in the area, after a week of drug awareness workshops in Fort Smith by Detective-retired Steve Walton. He assisted other grassroots efforts in Alberta and thinks this will help stop drugs in the community. "A drug coalition is an effective step because criminals hate it. It causes them anxiety," he said. "The community becomes a hard target and they will move to a softer target. The impact is a positive step forward. The community is doing the right thing." [continues 436 words]
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Intravenous crack cocaine, a huge factor in the HIV and hepatitis C outbreaks in Vancouver over the last few decades, is becoming a growing problem in Yellowknife, according to one emergency room doctor. Dr. David Pontin, a physician at Stanton Territorial Hospital, said he is beginning to see IV crack-related cases of hepatitis C in the ER. In a letter addressed to the territorial government, Pontin wrote: "We have a situation here that is akin to kindling waiting for a flame. Our homeless population is highly addicted already and the introduction of IV crack use is the flame that will cause an explosion of HIV and hepatitis C." Crack cocaine in smoking form has given rise to hepatitis C and HIV problems in the past due to unsafe sex practised while on the drug. But melted down and injected, crack cocaine really kicks the spread of these diseases into high gear, he said. [continues 444 words]
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Two Vancouver police officers were in Yellowknife last week to share their stories of life on the streets of Vancouver's notorious downtown east side. In addition to their police work, Sgt. Toby Hinton and Sgt. Mark Steinkampf are members of the Odd Squad, a non-profit production company consisting of police officers who film the drug-riddled streets of the "skid." The films were made to educate the public about the perils of drug addiction, Hinton told an audience at the Tree of Peace on Wednesday evening. "To show (youth) the end of the line because we work at the end of the line," he said. [continues 334 words]
Students in Lutsel K'e joined together last week, marching through the community to demonstrate concern over the negative effects of alcohol and drugs on their lives. The march is an annual event in a community with vivid memories of past horrors of alcohol abuse. Lutsel K'e's annual addictions awareness week walk took place Nov. 19. Over 60 people, including students, elders and community members marched from the school through town to a fire feeding ceremony and feast. "There has been tremendous progress in Lutsel K'e moving away from alcohol and drug abuse," said Lutsel K'e school Principal Sheila Cavanagh. "Unfortunately, despite being a dry community, there is still a large negative impact of addictions on students in school." Students spent two days before the walk learning and talking about the effects of drugs and alcohol on their lives and community. They created posters that now hang around Lutsel K'e. [continues 300 words]
Re: "Ykers get the dope on dope," Yellowknifer, Nov. 14. In regards to memory loss and pot use, Steve Walton says, "That's brain damage ... that's not funny." THC is a therapeutic agent, not a toxin, and does no damage at all. There is no science to support the notion that it causes brain damage. In fact, recent science show that cannabis reduces the damage caused by Parkinson's, stimulates tissue growth in the hypothalamus section of the brain, blocks a protein than causes Alzheimer's, and recent science out of Germany even shows how cannabinoids stimulate the body's production of TIMP-1, which helps healthy cells resist cancer invasion. [continues 188 words]
FORT SMITH - The South Slave has had enough of the illegal drug trade and is proposing a new way to combat it. In Fort Smith on Jan. 16, community representatives met Justice Minister Jackson Lafferty and the RCMP to propose a three-member drug interdiction task force, including a police dog, be established in the South Slave. The meeting was the initiative of Fort Smith Mayor Peter Martselos. "I believe very strongly, if we don't do something, things are going to get worse," he said. [continues 664 words]
We just enjoyed the highlights of National Addictions Awareness Week. Did you even notice? It has been pretty low key, after all. What's it about? Addicted to love? Coffee? Shopping? Smoking? Nope - not really. It's pretty much all about drugs and alcohol. It is not about the individual and what one does to themselves, although that is a factor. It is more about what affects us all. We just lost two Mounties. Good young men both of them. One to drugs and the other to alcohol. Let's take that as a call to action. Alcohol has long challenged our society. It is the drug of choice for pleasure and fun. It has also ruined people and families. It intoxicates, induces euphoria and is a catalyst that takes the personality on a voyage of pleasure. The prob [continues 617 words]
A marijuana grow-operation has been uncovered in Fort Simpson. This discovery, and subsequent seizure by the RCMP, provides a perfect opportunity for residents of the village to examine their stance against drugs. With the news of the discovery spreading across the village how are people responding? The telling question will be how many people are shocked by this news. Hopefully many people will be surprised to learn that cannabis plants were being grown in the village. It would be best if this feeling sprung more from a disbelief that this could happen in Fort Simpson rather than a general naivety. [continues 374 words]
YELLOWKNIFE - According to the RCMP, their newly-formed Crime Reduction Unit has made an impact on drug crime downtown. The Crime Reduction Unit was put in place early this summer originally as a pilot project to see what effectiveness the unit would have, said Const. Roxanne Dreilich. "Over the summer they've had some significant successes, so it has become a permanent fixture here at the detachment," said Dreilich. "The biggest impact that we're seeing from the Crime Reduction Units activity is a general decrease in the sort of open drug trafficking or drug activity in the downtown core." [continues 184 words]
Traffickers Plague Northwest Territories HAY RIVER, N.W.T. - RCMP Cpl. Eric Irani always keeps an eye out for the extras when he pulls over a car speeding toward the Northwest Territories. In one five-day stretch in June, a team of officers from Alberta, B.C. and the Northwest Territories found 1.25 kilograms of powder cocaine, as well as magic mushrooms, marijuana and crack cocaine heading north. They also found a loaded 9-mm handgun and a bundle containing $20,000 cash. [continues 646 words]
HAY RIVER, N.W.T. -- RCMP Cpl. Eric Irani always keeps an eye out for the extras when he pulls over a car speeding towards the Northwest Territories. In one five-day stretch in June, a team of officers from Alberta, B.C. and the Northwest Territories found 1.25 kilograms of powder cocaine, as well as magic mushrooms, marijuana and crack cocaine heading north. They also found a loaded 9-mm handgun and a bundle containing $20,000 cash. "The Northwest Territories is booming right now. It's kind of an untapped market for drug traffickers," said Irani, who heads the unit that patrols Alberta's highways. [continues 313 words]
The Problem Isn't Just The Traffickers, It's Also The Addicted Adults And Youth Who Turn To Drugs Because They're Available HAY RIVER, N.W.T. -- RCMP Cpl. Eric Irani always keeps an eye out for the extras when he pulls over a car speeding towards the Northwest Territories. In one five-day stretch in June, a team of officers from Alberta, B.C. and the Northwest Territories found 1.25 kilograms of powder cocaine, as well as magic mushrooms, marijuana and crack cocaine heading north. They also found a loaded nine-mm handgun and a bundle containing $20,000 cash. [continues 694 words]
Outsiders Bring Violence to Hay River, Ex-Judge Says HAY RIVER, N.W.T - RCMP Cpl. Eric Irani always keeps an eye out for the cargo when he pulls over a car speeding towards the Northwest Territories. In one five-day stretch in June, a team of officers from Alberta, B.C. and the Northwest Territories found 1.25 kilograms of powder cocaine, as well as magic mushrooms, marijuana and crack cocaine heading north. They also found a loaded 9-mm handgun and a bundle containing $20,000 cash. [continues 1258 words]
HAY RIVER, N.W.T. -- RCMP Cpl. Eric Irani always keeps an eye out for the extras when he pulls over a car speeding toward the Northwest Territories. In one five-day stretch in June, a team of officers from Alberta, B.C. and the Northwest Territories found 1.25 kilograms of powder cocaine, as well as magic mushrooms, marijuana and crack cocaine heading north. They also found a loaded 9-mm handgun and a bundle containing $20,000 cash. "The Northwest Territories is booming right now. It's kind of an untapped market for drug traffickers," said Irani, who heads the unit that patrols Alberta's highways. [continues 860 words]
With The Boom Comes Big Trouble. Northwest Territories Ailing: Violent Crime, Drug Offence Rates Higher Than Rest Of Country RCMP Cpl. Eric Irani always keeps an eye out for the extras when he pulls over a car speeding toward the Northwest Territories. In one five-day stretch in June, a team of officers from Alberta, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories found 1.25 kilograms of powder cocaine, as well as magic mushrooms, marijuana and crack cocaine heading north. They also found a loaded 9-mm handgun and a bundle containing $20,000 cash. [continues 656 words]
1,000 People Pack Arena For Memorial HAY RIVER, N.W.T. - The widow of slain Mountie Const. Christopher Worden begged the town of Hay River on Saturday to make the jobs of the remaining detachment members easier. "Drugs are a terrible problem in this town but the police can't do anything without your help," Jodie Worden told a memorial ceremony for her husband, who died Oct. 6 in this Northwest Territories town. "Chris died because of the illegal drug trade. Please don't let his death go without meaningful consequences. [continues 604 words]
'We Can Make This Community Crime Free' HAY RIVER, N.W.T. - Residents of the town where a Mountie was shot to death earlier this month packed their community hall to vent their frustration Monday night. They called for a curfew, more RCMP officers and enhanced youth programs. But their greatest anger was reserved for drug dealers who have invaded the Northwest Territories community. "We're going to hound them until they bloody well change or leave the community," former mayor Duncan McNeill said. "We can end up with this being a drug capital or we can make this community crime free." [continues 830 words]
Former Bar Owner Failed To Report $400,000 In Illicit Earnings EDMONTON - A 58-year-old man was fined $96,000 Tuesday by the Canada Revenue Agency for not reporting the money he made dealing drugs. The former Yellowknife bar owner didn't report $400,000, which he made through drug trafficking in 2004 and 2005. Ken Wong pleaded guilty to tax evasion, money laundering and drug trafficking at the Northwest Territories Supreme Court. [end]
I'm writing about "DARE to say no" (editorial, May 4, 2007 Inuvik Drum) Common sense tells us that the DARE program should deter our youth from using illegal drugs but it doesn't. Common sense tells us that the Earth is the center of the universe and our solar system. But it's not. Common sense tells us that prohibiting a product should substantially reduce the use of the product that's prohibited. Actually, prohibition tends to substantially increase the desire for the product that's prohibited. People want what they are told they cannot have - especially children. The lure of the "forbidden fruit" is very powerful. Kirk Muse Mesa, Arizona [end]
I found myself sitting in on a presentation earlier this week at Sir Alexander Mackenzie school. The RCMP is working with the school to educate youth about the nasty temptations in life. Yes, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program is in full swing once again. The bell rings on a Tuesday morning and the students make their way to the classroom to sit in their uniform desks, all lined up in rows. Their attention is wandering, still lost in the monkey bars of the playground. [continues 543 words]
Group Wants To Target YK Businesses Education on crystal meth and crack cocaine should be available to more than just social workers, speakers told a drug symposium last week in Yellowknife. The symposium was for frontline workers, but Diane Hrstic with the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre said that the broader community needs to be educated as well. Some people who have shown interest in further education include taxi companies and security guards. That includes more seminars and awareness pamphlets targeting local businesses to better help them understand the drug addictions they might encounter on the street. [continues 161 words]
It seems to me that the RCMP have sold Yellowknife city council a bottle of snake oil in the form of drug free zones (Drug-free Zone Launched, April 11). How will a drug free zone help? Does not drug prohibition already make Canada a drug free zone? By placing a drug free zone around a school, police are indicating that they are going to arrest and punish teenagers harder than the rest of the drug users in Yellowknife. In other words, Yellowknife has decided that teenagers can be the scapegoat for the sins of the parents. With more than 50 per cent of Canadians reporting that they have used marijuana in the previous year, teenagers can't be the principle problem. [continues 132 words]
Police Hint More Locations Will Join The List The signs are up, and Yellowknife's first drug-free zone is now official. The city worked with the RCMP, school boards, and other community groups to launch Yellowknife's first drug free zone, an area marked off to warn drug dealers to stay away. The drug-free zone is more than just a game of semantics, said RCMP Insp. Roch Fortin, last Wednesday. "It's more than a sign, it's a community getting together," said Fortin. [continues 116 words]
Seriously, I think it's high time that we stand up as a community and give the boot to crack dealers in town. These people come to Inuvik with a suitcase full of cocaine and a hunger for money. It must be the easiest job in the world to sit by the phone and wait for the business to roll in. In an industry where the product moves itself, any greedy, selfish person can become a crack dealer. We need to take a proactive approach to this situation. We cannot wait for the police to step up and make another "large" bust. Pre-empt the RCMP and make some phone calls. Send anonymous tips to the detachment. I've been told that is how our system works. [continues 510 words]
First Meeting Since Motion Passed By Council School representatives and public officials gathered last Tuesday to discuss how the NWT's first drug-free zone will be implemented. Mayor Gordon Van Tighem, Insp. Roch Fortin and Yk1 superintendent Metro Huculak gathered with student representatives from both school boards and RCMP officers to discuss details on how the initiative will take form. "It's more than just a sign," said Fortin. "The greatness of this project is that people get together to make this work. There's some incredible people behind this sign." [continues 201 words]
Four People Charged After Raid on Two Apartments Four people have been charged with endangering children after police say they were found smoking pot in the same room as five kids. The charge were laid after police raided two apartments Friday and seized $4,700 worth of marijuana, said RCMP Const. Roxanne Dreilich. Armed with a search warrant, RCMP officers entered the apartments, in two separate buildings, seizing 235 grams of marijuana, said Dreilich. Six adults were taken into custody, said Dreilich. Four of them were later charged with possession for purpose of trafficking. [continues 148 words]
The only way to regulate a drug-free zone is to create additional zones where drugs are allowed. It's called regulation and it works with alcohol. Upon doing so the vast majority of users will have no interest in the drug-free zones. The rest can then be coerced into the drug-use zones with a minimum of effort. Without the drug-use zones, drug-free zones are just another word for prohibition. And if prohibition worked, I would not be replying to this (newspaper) column. It's been tried and has been a failure for almost a century in Canada. Just changing the name is not going to make prohibition work. Chuck Beyer, Port Alberni, BC. [end]
I don't know about you but I don't understand city council making a drug-free zone around the two high schools. Somehow I just don't see how putting up signs and making a declaration is going to make any difference. If it does, why wouldn't this campaign work on every social ill we have, from bootlegging to pollution? We've all seen the signs that say no dumping and underneath there's household stuff, dumped. I wonder if I put signs up in my kitchen and made a declaration that I could lose weight, the pounds would miraculously fall off? [continues 363 words]
In an effort to combat drug trafficking and bootlegging in communities, the GNWT is thinking of introducing a new piece of legislation that would give community residents more direct power. However, the proposed Act has already engendered controversy even before its implementation. The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act (SCAN) is already in aplace in other provinces and territories including Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Yukon. Policy advisor for the GNWT Department of Justice (DoJ) Jeff MacKey was at the Fort Smith community consultation meeting held last Tuesday, Nov. 21 at the Roaring Rapids Hall. Mackey said the Act would contribute to community policing efforts. [continues 485 words]
Scan - it's a word which connotates watching. But in the NWT SCAN now means the Safer Communities And Neighbourhoods legislation. Will the new act make Northern neighbours friends or foes? The act is being looked at by the GWNT. It's new piece of legislation that would give community residents direct power. It is supposed to keep the peace and safety of neighbourhoods via complaints and investigations - coming from next door. There are many positives to SCAN. It will give more power to the people instead of waiting for officials to do something. If you suspect a crack house on your block, you can call investigators and ask them to act on your suspicion. [continues 432 words]
Couple Discover It's Not Easy to Get Addiction Help Getting clean and sober is a challenge, as one Yellowknife couple discovered during their quest to access treatment for a debilitating crack addiction. When Dawn first discovered her husband Frank (not their real names) was addicted to crack, it came as a surprise. "I didn't know until a year-and-a-half into the relationship," said the 24-year-old. "I had people tell me and I didn't believe them but he took off one time, came back a few days later and that's when I found the (crack) pipe." [continues 564 words]
Inside Northwest Territories
