Month: November 2016

Tulita is not a completely dry town, but it is alcohol restricted. The liquor restrictions allow individuals to possess one 40-oz bottle of spirits, 12 regular-sized (355 ml) cans of beer and three mickeys (375 ml) in a 24-hour period. While that is not a highly restrictive quantity of alcohol, it is not allowed to be sold in town, so the access is limited.

Nearby Norman Wells, the only community in the region which does not have liquor restrictions, is the local alcohol hub. You can get your daily allowance of booze flown into town for a fairly steep premium from both the liquor store and airline (about $50-100 per order). The RCMP has told us that the most common crime up here is bootlegging alcohol, which is more common in the winter (when the road is open) and summer (when you can travel by boat).

I don’t know much about the history of the alcohol restrictions up here, but it is an issue that people have strong opinions on. Here are some related news articles:

• Sahtu communities press for changes to Liquor Act
• Tulita liquor bust reinforces need for restrictions: MLA
• Sahtu communities gain power over liquor sales
• Sahtu yet to limit regional liquor sales
• Liquor restrictions up to communities: Norman Wells mayor