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AssemblybeerdebateturnsbitterFinancialpromiseofbubblingindustrypittedagainstsocialimpactofbooze2TuesdayMarch172015POLITICSTAXESNEWSBRIEFSYellowknifeRCMPmaketwomajordrugbustsinoneweekThestreetsofYellowknifearealittlebitsaferafterRCMPmadetwomajordrugbustsinthelastweek.Therstsei-zureoccurredonMar.10whenpolicearrestedJesseWil-liamCoburnafterndingabout2.4kgofmarijuanacashtrafckingparaphernaliabrassknucklesandasmallquan-tityofcocaineduringasearchatanapartmentbuildingonRangeLakeRoad.OnMar.12RCMPalsolocatedandseizedabout150gramsofcrack-cocaineandcashatanapartmentnear52ndand56thAve.22cottagelotstobemadeavailablealongIngrahamTrailTheGNWTismakingspaceavailablefornewcabinsjustout-sideofYellowknifealongtheIngrahamTrail.Ballotdrawslaterthissummerwilldeterminewhowillgettoleasethe22newlotslocatedinsixpre-surveyedsubdivisions.Loca-tionsincludetwolotsonReidLakesevenonTibbittLakeveonPeninsulaLakeoneonPontoonLakesixonPreludeLakeandoneonMadelineLake.Anupdatewithinforma-tiononhowtoenterthedrawwillbepostedontheLandsdepartmentwebsiteMay1.DeninuKueFirstNationre-electschiefThetoprepresentativeoftheDeninuKueFirstNa-tioninFortResolutionheldontohisleadershipinthebandselectionlastweek.ChiefLouisBalsilliewasre-electedwith108votesinfavourofanotherfouryeartermonMar.12.InadditionRobertG.SayineStanleyBeckLouineCarolCollinsandPatSimonwerealsoelectedascouncillors.SystemNavigatorTracyHoffwillbeavailabletoanswerquestionsandtoassistwithhealthcareformsattheNWTMtisNationofcelocatedabovetheFortSmithMtisCouncilofce25CamsellSt.atthesedatesandtimesWedesdayMarch25from900a.m.to430p.m.ThursdayMarch26from900a.m.to230p.m.DoyouhaveanyquestionsaboutyourNTHealthcareorMtisHealthBeneftsPleasecall867872-2770Ore-mailhealth.nwtmnnorthwestel.netByDALICARMICHAELTheterritoryisabouttogetitsveryownmicrobreweryforthersttimeinalongtimewiththeimpendingopeningoftheNWTBrew-ingCo.butsomeareques-tioningthesocialimpactthecompanyandotherslikeitmighthave.WhenMLADarylDolynnypushedforfurthertaxfree-domsforthebrewpubintheLegislativeAssemblyonMar.11arguingthatitcouldleadtotheriseofanewindustrywithintheNWTFinanceMinisterMichaelMilten-bergeratlystatedhisun-willingnesstoopenwhathesaysisacanofwormsaroundtheavailabilityofalcoholintheterritory.Thedirectionthathasbeenchosenbythegovern-mentconsistentlyoverthemanyassembliesthatIvebeeninhereandprioristoseetheneedtotrytocontroltheabuseofalcoholMilten-bergersaid.ThememberwantsustohaveaverymodesttaxregimetoencouragetheproductionofalcoholandImsayingIthinkwehaveabroaderso-cietalobligationandagov-ernmentalobligationandthatstotrytomanagethedevastationthatscausedbyalcoholabuse.BothDolynnyandown-ersoftheNWTBrewingCo.agreethereareissuesaroundalcoholismintheterritorybutdontbelievethetaxingamendmentstheyareask-ingforwillhaveanegativeimpactontheissue.Iunderstandthesensi-tivitiestowardsthesocialproblemsthatthereareis-suessurroundingalcoholbutIthinkhemadejustageneralizedcommentonthewholeindustryitselfsaidbrewmasterFletcherStevenswhosaidhehopestoeducatehiscustomersabouttheartisanalsideofbeer.WiththebenetsthatourbusinesscouldbringtoYellowknifeandtheNorthandtheawarenessofalco-holabusethegoodthatwecanbringtotallyoutweighsthebad.Thetaxstructureonalco-holwasalreadyamendedinDecember.Insteadofpayingaatmanufacturingrateof2.22oneverylitreofbeersoldatieredsystemhasbeenputinplace.HoweverDolynnyandStevensarententirelyhappywiththenalgures.Small-scalebrewersacrossCanadahaveidenti-edobstaclestotheirbusi-nessandbeertaxregimesarecitedmostoftenasnotkeepingpacewithchangestotheindustryandIhavetoagreewiththemDolynnysaid.AlthoughtheGNWTofferedsomeeasementinDecemberof2014itscur-rentamendedformulaisstilloneofthehighestformulasinthecountry.Atthelowestrateofpro-ductionupto1500hectoli-tresperyearmanufacturersareexpectedtopay1.11perlitre.Thisgoesupto1.42forupto2500hectolitresandtheoriginalrateof2.22overthatamount.Forourrstyearofop-erationImgoingtogoonthelowersideImthinkingprobablycloseto1000hec-tolitresStevenssaidthoughhenotedhewasbeingmod-estwiththeestimate.AnyotherbrewpubIvebeentoorspokenwiththeygener-allysell35percentoftheirproductionintherestaurantand65percentingrowlersales.WiththecalculationIdidthats300-400hectoli-tresintherestaurant...sowecouldbeoverthethousandhectolitresthisyear.Inadditiontothehighpro-ductioncostsNWTBrewingexpectstofacehightranspor-tationexpendituresastheyexpandtheirsalesthrough-outtheterritoryandeven-tuallyintothesouth.Sadlywhenproductionincreasesmanyfearwiththetaxregimebeingproposedthiswilldoverylittletoen-hancethetruepotentialofthisnewindustryDolynnysaid.Thereisnodenyingthehugetourismandemploy-mentpotentialofaNorth-ernmicro-brewingindustry.MiltenbergersaidhewouldreexaminethetaxregimeifMLAsagreedbutnotedthatthediscussionwouldlikelyex-pandfromoneofapotentialbusinessopportunitytooneoffundamentalpolicies.NWTBrewingCo.hopingtoopeninearlysummerConstructionontheNWTBrewingCo.brewpubandbrewingfacilitiesiswellun-derwayFletchersaid.Currentlyheisinthepro-cessofapplyingforaliquorlicencewiththehopesofhav-ingasoftopeninginlateJune.HeandhiswifeandbusinesspartnerMirandaStevenshaveanamefortherestaurantbutarekeepingittothemselvesforthetimebeing.WewanttobuildthathypeandanticipationofournameFletchersaid.ItsspecialtoourheartsandIthinkitsagoodtforYellowknifeandwherewerelocatedinYel-lowknife.Ialwayslikeleav-ingsomekindoftrickupoursleeve.PhotoNWTBrewingCo.WhileMLADarylDolynnypushesforfurtherfreedomsfortheterritorysblossomingmicrobrewindustryFinanceMinisterMichaelMiltenbergersayshehasreservationsaboutthepotentialproblemscheaperalcoholposes.