The Question: “Are you in favour of off-premise licences being issued in Iqaluit?”
Voting Day: October 24 with an advance vote on October 17.
You can vote if you are:
- A Canadian citizen;
- 19 years or older; and
- A resident of Iqaluit for at least one year.
Where to Vote
Special (mail-in) ballot
Contact Elections Nunavut: 800.267.4394
Mobile Poll- October 17
Contact Returning Officer: 867.222.3996 / 800.267.4394
Advance Vote- October 17 12pm -7pm
- Abe Okpik Hall
- Catholic Parish Hall
Plebiscite Day- October 24 9am-7pm
- Cadet Hall
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What does a yes vote mean?
A yes vote means that you approve of a brewery permit holder to be allowed to apply to the Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Board for a licence to sell up to 12x355ml can or bottles of beer per day directly to customers for consumption at home.
What does a no vote mean?
A no vote means that a brewery permit holder could only sell beer for consumption on their premises, for exportation, or to the Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Commission (NULC). This is the status quo for licenced brewery permit holders.
Another plebiscite to allow off-premises licences would not be able to be held for three years, or until 2025 at the earliest.
What about the limits at the NULC walk-in store (Beer and Wine store)?
Off-premises sales would be in addition to limits at the NULC store. For privacy reasons, the NULC is not able to share customer purchasing information with a third-party, such as an establishment with a brewery permit and/or an off-premises sales licence.
Who can apply for an off-premises sales licence?
If approved, the Liquor Regulations allow only brewery permit holders to apply for an off-premises sales licence.
Can they sell hard liquor, spirits, wine or other low alcohol content beverages such as cider to take home?
If approved, a holder of an off-premises sales licence would only be able to sell beer for consumption off-premises.
Does this apply to communities outside of Iqaluit?
This type of off-premises license applies only to brewery permit holders – currently, there is only one licensed brewery permit holder in Nunavut, which is located in Iqaluit. The result of the vote will only apply in Iqaluit, if a future brewery were to open in another community, a new plebiscite would need to be held before they could sell their product off-premise.
Why is this plebiscite only in Iqaluit?
The Liquor Act requires a local plebiscite to be held any time the NLCB receives an application for a new type of license in that community. There has been an application for a new kind of licence in Iqaluit – an off-premise licence – so the plebiscite is restricted to Iqaluit only.
Can people from communities outside of Iqaluit by beer to take home?
Individuals visiting from other communities would be able to buy beer from an Iqaluit brewery with an off-premise sales license, but still need to follow the laws of the community they are transporting it to.
When would they be able to sell beer off-premises?
If approved, this plebiscite does not guarantee that beer will be permitted to be sold for off-premises consumption. It simply allows brewery permit holders the ability to apply for a license to sell beer for off-premises consumption, and the NLCB to issue that license.
Brewery permit holders would have to apply for an off-premises license through the NLCB. The NLCB would then review and approve the license application before beer could be sold for off-premises consumption.
Under the Liquor Act and Liquor Regulations, the following rules would apply:
- The Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Board, as part of the application process, will set hours for the sale of beer, but in no case can the hours extend past 10:00pm; and,
- No beer can be sold off-premises on a Sunday.
https://www.gov.nu.ca/finance/news/upcoming-liquor-licence-plebiscite-i…;
