LEAVE NOW, PREMIER TELLS PUSHERS

While trying to temper a response to what he said may or may not be
vigilanteism, Premier Dennis Fentie has only one message for the
city's drug dealers: "Saddle up and get the hell out of the Yukon!"

Responding to questions from the Star Friday afternoon, Fentie said
he's been watching the anti-drug/violence protests in the city with
great interest.

He said he supports the move to kick drug pushers out of Whitehorse
and the territory but cannot condone people taking the law into their
own hands.

"I think we have to put this in context -- every Canadian community is
dealing with substance abuse," Fentie said. "I don't support mob mentality.

"(The government) wouldn't condone vigilanteism, not that I'm saying
that's what this is," Fentie added.

CBC radio reported shortly after noon today that it had just received
a news release from a downtown residents' association saying the group
planned a rally for 4:00 this afternoon near the corner of Eighth
Avenue and Wheeler Street -- the vicinity of a known drug house.
Further details were not immediately available.

Fentie, meawhile, said he'd prefer to see Whitehorse residents voice
their concerns to the proper authorities, such as the RCMP, and take
advantage of the new safer communities legislation.

The territory became the third jurisdiction in Canada to adopt safer
communities legislation in May, following Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The act targets properties being used for producing, growing, selling
or using illegal drugs, prostitution, solvent abuse and the unlawful
sale or consumption of alcohol. It is meant to provide a flexible and
responsive approach to dealing with substance abuse in the territory.

It enables residents to use a confidential complaint line to report
their concerns to an investigative team that exists within the
Department of Justice and operates separately from the RCMP.

The legislation also focuses on using civil law, rather than criminal
law, to end the targeted activities. Staff will be recruited this
summer to run the program.

Fentie said the voices of the people taking action in the community
have been heard by the premier's office and that government is taking
the problem very seriously.

"It's been heard a long time ago. That's why government, in
conjunction with the Opposition, the RCMP, the Department of Justice
and the Department of Health and Social Services were working on the
drug problem through things such as the safer communities
legislation," Fentie said.

"I can share and understand the frustration; people are fed up with
this. We're going to continue to work on this approach together."

Fentie's comments come on the back of action taken by an unnamed, and
loosely organized, group of people who targeted city drug dealers last
week, kicking them out of bars and telling them to leave Whitehorse.

Last Wednesday, following an anti-drug/violence rally in Rotary Park,
50 people aged 19 to 30 peacefully walked into the Capital Hotel and
asked a suspected drug dealer to leave.

The group, according to the Capital's owner, Maurice Byblow, then
split up, with half remaining at his bar and the other half of the
group going to downtown bars to ask other dealers to leave.

Last Wednesday's show of defiance, according to people in attendance,
was sparked by violence at the previous weekend's Dustball dance,
where several people experienced violence. One person who was knocked
unconscious had his teeth knocked out.

Speaking to the Star on a condition of anonymity last week, members of
the group said they were not looking for violence. They were just
asking the rest of the community to help with drug dealers and the
violence they're inflicting on people in the community.

"Hopefully, this gets more people aware of what's going
on."

"We want pressure from the police, we want special drug units sent up
from down south, we want pressure on the politicians and the people
who hold authority in this community; we want an end to this," the
young person said.

"You should be able to go to a bar with your friends, have a beer and
watch the hockey game and not fear violence."

Another member of the group said they weren't trying to do the RCMP's
job, but were just making a statement that enough is enough. "It's
about time somebody put their foot down," the member said.

"The cops can see these people standing in front of buildings in this
city, but they don't seem to be able to do anything about it.

"There's a lot of people who have been beaten up, and we'd like to
seem them out of town."

Byblow said he has noticed an increase in the level of illegal
activity in his and other Whitehorse bars.

"Here's what I can tell you. I operate and own the Capital and in the
course of the past year, there seems to have been a change in the
level of drug activity."

He added he's not sure of the details because he's not
involved.

"It appears that an outside group has infiltrated the Whitehorse
market in that industry.

"It's happening in my bar, and it's happening in every
bar."

A peace rally, meant to demonstrate the community stands against
drugs, drug dealers and violence, is set for July 29 at Rotary Peace
Park.