YOU'RE NOT WELCOME, DRUG PUSHERS TOLD

RCMP officers were out in numbers and the Capital Hotel is instituting
a new drug policy after a group of 50 citizens descended on the
downtown area Wednesday to tell drug dealers they aren't welcome in
Whitehorse.

Responding to questions from the Star this afternoon, Maurice Byblow,
the owner of the Capital Hotel, said following an anti-drug rally he
attended at Rotary Park Wednesday night, a group of 40 to 50 local
residents from the rally, aged 19 to 30, peacefully entered his bar at
9 p.m. to ask a suspected drug dealer to leave.

"At about 9 p.m., all of the people from the rally showed up at my
bar, identified a person they said was a drug dealer and asked that
person to leave," Byblow said, adding the suspected drug dealer left
peacefully.

"The group then split in half and went to other bars
downtown.

"They were saying, 'We don't want that element in Whitehorse,' and I
respect that," he said.

The rally and the actions that followed were sparked by the violence
at last weekend's Dustball dance, he added.

"That was the straw that broke the camels back," he said of the fights
that were reported at the event.

Last weekend, RCMP responded to an incident at the Dustball tournament
dance which saw a 21-year-old man knocked unconscious and another
27-year-old man had some of his teeth knocked out.

Byblow said prior to last night's activities, he had noticed an
increase in drug trafficking and violence at both his and other bars
in town. "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 said, adding that he's not sure of
details because he's not involved.

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

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

Byblow said he is instituting a new drug policy at the Capital that
will see anyone involved in drug trafficking or violence banned from
entering his establishment.

"My staff and I are currently involved in finalizing a drug policy
which, when implemented, will be zero tolerance," he said, adding the
policy also applies to violence.

"The issue is not so much the drugs themselves, it's the violence that
goes with them.

"What's worse is a lot of people who have experienced violence are
innocent people who have nothing to do with drug industry."

In an interview outside the Capital Wednesday at midnight, one member
of the group of concerned citizens said the rally and the events that
followed were not meant to spark violence. They were designed to make
a statement that drugs, drug dealers and the violence that goes with
them are not welcome in Whitehorse.

"I've been around long enough to understand what's going on," the
young person said. "This place (Whitehorse) is really f---ed," the
young person said, explaining that the group was making a statement to
city drug dealers that they are not welcome.

"All we're making is a statement. It isn't a battle, it isn't a war
and we're not looking for violence," the young person said.

"It's time to tell them that they can't push us around any more," the
young person said.

"This isn't a war, it's just a statement."

In an interview this morning, Whitehorse RCMP Cpl. Leanne Lind said
the local detachment had bolstered its evening roster in response to
police intelligence information.

"We received information there be an altercation between two groups of
individuals," she said.

"Extra staff were called in," she said, adding that there was no
incidence of violence reported.

Lind also said the RCMP are aware that illegal drugs are being sold in
bars in the city but that criminal activity is difficult to prosecute
in court without witnesses who are willing to make statements.

"We are aware that there are drugs being sold from bars," she
said.

"From a police perspective, we need the public to give us statements.
We need people to come forward and tells us what they know."

NDP MLA Todd Hardy, a longtime anti-drug advocate, said today while he
too is concerned about the drug problem in Whitehorse, he feels
citizens should not take matters into their own hands.

"The drug problem has been growing and it's something we have to deal
with, and the actions of these people is indicative of the frustration
that people are feeling with this problem - more people should get
involved.

"However, I'm concerned when groups go out like this because the
chances of violence go up.

"Things like that can lead to an escalation of violence, injury or
death. These are dangerous people. We're dealing with Hells Angels,
we're dealing with organized crime now," he said.

Hardy said he too has been threatened by the drug dealers and feels
that last night's group of young people may not know what they're
dealing with.

"They're not dealing with a fist fight. They're dealing with people
who use violence and with people who appear to have very little
respect for human life."

The young people plan to return to the Capital at 6:00 this evening.