Approximately 30 people showed up at a La Ronge Town Council meeting last night to throw their support behind a new bylaw.
The town bylaw, which outlines the sale, distribution and consumption of beverage alcohol and cannabis is an effort to remedy an on-going alcohol problem in town.
The new hours in the bylaw will see off-sales close at 11:00 PM, instead of 3:00 AM , and bars will stop serving alcohol at 1:00 AM, instead of 2:00 AM.
These new hours will take place on January 1, 2019.
During the discussion part of the meeting, the majority of the concerned residents introduced themselves and explained why the change of the bylaws is important to them.
One mother explained that her children can’t go to the Bargain Shop, which is just down the road from their house because of the people who are drunk outside of the store.
Another woman suggested that restricting the hours will put the town at par with many other provinces.
She added that it may ‘hurt’ for a little while, but the new hours will have long term benefits.
A local physician, says he is nervous for his wife, who also works at the hospital, when she is driving to work for a night shift. His concern is that a drunk driver may run a stop sign while on their way to off-sales and hit her. Or, while she is at work, he is concerned that she may be assaulted by someone full of rage and alcohol.
Besides the residents that showed up to the meeting, seven letters of support were sent to council, and some portions were read out during the discussion.
A letter penned by another physician explains that nothing good ever happens after 2:00 AM in the E.R. He writes that it is at 2:00 AM that he gets a sinking feeling in his stomach that something really bad is going to happen and that it will likely involve alcohol.
The first reading of the new bylaw was passed at a special town council meeting on December 1, when Councilors Jordan McPhail, Rex McPhail, Matt Klassen and Deputy Mayor Hugh Watt voted in favour of the bylaw. Councilors Dallas Everest and Glen Watchel along with Mayor Ron Woytowich voted it down.
The votes in the second and third readings were consistent with the first reading, with Mayor and Council remaining fixed on their stance.
“I support a whole lot of this,” says Mayor Woytowich, “but not closing off-sale before the bars”.
Councilor Watchel’s concern the potential increase of bootlegging.
Nobody opposing the bylaw was in attendance, nor did they submit a letter.
(Photo: The Lands Bar. By Tania Colbert.)