Liquor permit – The Ullivik Centre works to improve the overall health, well-being, and living conditions of Inuit. Situated in an industrial area of Dorval bordering Pierre-Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Ullivik’s residential facility provides temporary accommodation, transportation and nursing services for Inuit patients (and accompanying family members) receiving health care in Montreal.
On July 27, 2018, the Regie des alcools, des courses et des jeux approved the issuance of a liquor permit to Resto Bar Archies. Located 600 meters from the entrance to the Ullivik facility, the Bar specifically targets Inuit.
Together with the City of Dorval, the Service de Police de la Ville de Montreal, and a lawyer from the Regie itself, the Ullivik Centre presented the Regie’s members with a range of health, safety, and social issues that constituted a significant threat to the public interest. Many of the arguments put forward highlighted particular service needs in the context of Inuit culture as well as the complexities of Inuit history. The Ullivik Centre documents more than a thousand intoxication-related incidents annually.
Despite these submissions, the Regie issued the liquor permit. The Ullivik Centre is appealing this decision and has received support from Ungava MNA Jean Boucher and the Makivik Corporation, an Inuit non-profit organization created under the terms of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement to promote the social, economic and cultural development of Quebec Inuit.
Many Inuit who come south for health care and healing are survivors of trauma. For many Inuit, colonial policies led to substance abuse, sexual abuse, and violence. In cooperation with the SPVM, Ms. Maggie Putulik, Director of the Ullivik Centre, has worked to sensitize police officers to the specific needs of Inuit in the Montreal-area. Tackling these complex issues requires that governments and organizations – including the Regie – work together to implement cross-sector solutions that support and draw upon the resilience that characterizes the Inuit.
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