Ponoka & District Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year 2008 Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Vol. 65, No. 23
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DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION OF PONOKA
Booze bylaw passes By Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
Calf roper in training: Schalk Greyling attempts to round up a dummy calf during the Race for Kids fundraiser. More on page 29. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
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Last call for alcohol. Ponoka’s business hours bylaw has passed by a vote of 4-3; liquor stores and off-sales liquor outlets must close by 10 p.m. — except during the official days of the Ponoka Stampede. Third reading of the bylaw was passed at council’s May 28 regular meeting, which left liquor storeowners stunned. Mayor Larry Henkelman discussed the bylaw after Coun. Loanna Gulka made the motion to approve third reading. “This of course is quite a controversial bylaw.” He called on councillors to put some thought behind their decision, as their job is to represent the community as a whole. Sometimes council must deal with issues that are not popular and a vote for or against could be seen negatively. He referred to trees at the airport council decided to cut down. “There was a lot of people in favour of it, there was a lot of people against it,” said Henkelman. “As councillors we’re taught to represent the community as a whole.” Individual groups should not take preference in a decision. Much time and discussion has been spent on the bylaw, explained Coun. Rick Bonnett and his hope was for more public input at the last meeting. He feels a conduct bylaw attached to the liquor hours bylaw would have been prudent. “As a conduct bylaw with this when the RCMP came to us with this from the start would’ve probably been a good thing to throw in at the same time.” Hindsight is going to be 20/20, suggests Coun. Doug Gill. Issues such as overtime for police officers and impaired drivers are among the
many issues that come to light when dealing with this bylaw and he wondered if the bylaw would solve those problems. “I don’t know. Are we doing the right thing? It’s a step in the right direction.” He spoke of Hobbema and whether that is part of the problem. “I’ve maintained for a while if this is really an issue with the First Nations neighbours from the north, they should be players in this. What’s leaving our community is going to end up in their community,” said Gill. The only councillor to actually speak in favour of the bylaw was Coun. Loanna Gulka. She spoke with people on both sides of the liquor bylaw who are affected and she suggests there is a large majority of people who support the bylaw. “I came at it from a direction, as Coun. Gill has also said, from a safe and healthy communities perspective.” Solving issues such as public drunkenness, impaired driving and late night liquor shopping are not going to be fixed with the bylaw may prove an effective tool. She thanked Jim Hamilton of Hammy’s Spirits, for his research and suggestions that there may be other ways to deal with liquor issues, especially when liquor sales is already regulated by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC). “I just see a prevalent issue in this community,” added Gulka. The community had plenty of time to speak on this bylaw, said Coun. Izak van der Westhuizen and he feels there are other ways to deal with offenders of AGLC rules. “We live in a community when the winters bring us long, long nights. What could happen between 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. could happen between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.” Continued on page 3
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STEVE WOLBECK BOB MASS Sales Mgr. Sales
JOHN COURSER Sales
DUSTIN VANDALE Sales