Should Nain be a dry community?

The idea came about following a tragic early summer for the community with three lives lost in a house fire, three suicides and a drowning.

A plebiscite is a direct vote by the public on a specific issue. In this case, the plebiscite is being held by the Nain Inuit Community Government in response to an alcohol problem they say they believe exists in the community.

“[The plebiscite] was raised by one of the councillors at the last council meeting,” Sarah Leo, the AngajukKâk of the Nain Inuit Community Government, said. “We had discussed alcohol and the idea of a plebiscite came up.”

The motion to hold a plebiscite was passed unanimously by the council.

The plebiscite is a voting process used by government to gather public opinion on an issue before them.  “A plebiscite is basically there to gauge the public’s opinion,” Leo said. “The plebiscite doesn’t have any legal leg to stand on.”

The question proposed through this plebiscite is: “Should Nain be a dry community?”

Alcohol is currently available in the community through a local beer supplier and in the bar of the Atsanik Lodge.

Residents are given the option to vote either yes or no to the question.

Nain residents aged 16-years and older are eligible to cast their vote in the plebiscite.

16 is the age established in the Labrador Inuit Constitution for eligibility to vote in Nunatsiavut Government elections.

This is not the first time the community was faced with the prospect of creating a dry community.

In 1991, a similar plebiscite was held to determine the community’s view on whether or not they would like to see the establishment of a dry community.

According to the minutes of a town council meeting held in November 1991, the last plebiscite was held on November 19, 1991.

Following the violent death of two of Nain’s residents, the council had decided to hold a plebiscite examining the public’s opinion on alcohol in the community.

The question proposed through that plebiscite was: “In relation to the consumption of alcohol and homebrew in Nain, what do you want done about the situation?”

At that time the community was presented with three options: a total ban, the creation of more limitations or no change.

365 residents of the community headed to the poll to cast their vote out of 649 eligible voters.

The results were: 106 in favor of a total ban, 108 called for more limitations and 149 voters wanted no change.

That is 29, 31 and 40 percent of the votes for each of the options respectively.

The council at the time determined that no action would be taken unless one of the options gathered a majority of the votes.

Since none of the options had garnered 50 percent plus one of the votes, the council decided that it had fulfilled its responsibility of gathering the public’s opinion on the matter and decided to take no further action.

Voting on the latest plebiscite takes place on Monday until 8pm in the community and the results of the plebiscite will be made available immediately.

Depending on the outcome of the vote, the Nain Inuit Community Government will determine its next step.

“If you’re going to do something like bring in a ban on alcohol, which basically affects the whole community,” Leo said. “If you have the community’s support it will be much easier to implement.”