2 Terrace Review — Wednesday, August 27, 1986 RCMP inspecto TERRACE — A well- respected member of the community, Inspector Ron Evans, officer com- manding in charge of the . Terrace Detachment has accepted a position in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Inspector Ron Evans, ACMP officer In charge of the Ter- race detachment, will be accepting a new post in St. John's, Newfoundland this fail. Daniele Barquist photo Community effects of Sunday TERRACE — Since the opening of Expo 86 at the end of May pubs, lounges and cabarets have had fhe option of serving liquor on Sun- day, and most of them have taken advantage of the opportunity for in- creased business, Ai the time the Order in Coun- cil was announced, public opinion was divi- ded between those who applauded the removal of a Victorian era regula- tion from the govern- ment’s liquor control policy, and others who forecast dire conse- quences for family life and further stress on law enforcement and alcohol abuse counseling agen- cies. After three months of Sunday bar openings the social impacts are not conclusive, but some community represen- tatives are beginning to express reservations about the availablity of public drinking seven days a week. ‘At the Kitimat-Stikine - Regional District board meeting in August, Peter Weeber and Alice Mait- land, both directors from the Hazelton area, indicated that the policy “4 by Daniele Berquist While employed with the Terrace RCMP force, Evans was respon- ‘sible for introducing his philosophy on communi- ty policing. ‘I did what I came to do,’’ said Evans. The job I’ve had here has given me more personal satisfaction than any other work in the force, Evans stated. The people in the com- _ munity have put in a great effort along with the police force which resulted in a very active program. The crime has been reduced in the area — over the past two to three years, Evans noted. He commended his staff of 58 on being very effective. A lot of my staff have put in long hours in voluntary over- time on behalf of the community. The mem- bers of the force are very dedicated, you don’t see this everywhere, he add- ed. While in Terrace an- other highlight for Evans had drastically affected their communities. Mait- land characterized Hazelton as an ‘‘animal show”, saying that in- dividuals with chronic alcohol problems who used to dry out on Sun- days now remain in a continual state of intoxi- cation. Weeber express- ed the conviction that provincial regulations are strongly influenced by a lobby of alcoliolic beverage manufacturers, and he voiced strong ob- jections to the lack of community input in forming policy. ‘‘Social concerns are ignored,’’ Acting mayor Bob Jackman recently congratutated Miss Terrace Laura Tupper and First Princess Lisa McLeod on behalf of Terrace municipal council. Both girls were presented with Kermode bear pins during a ceremony in council chambers. Michael Kelly photo was convincing the municipality that the police force required a new facility, at a very nominal cost. It took five years, he added, but it’s now underway. Inspector Evans has given the force 35 years of service and dedica- tion. While in Terrace, his duties comprised of managing the. Terrace - Detachment which takes in a large area outside of the district. Evans was administrator of Police Function to set the tone of the policing philoso- phy. Evans is also in charge of two assistants who look after opera- tions and administrative matters. Evans will be leaving for St. John’s, New- foundiand in late Sep- tember. There he will keep the same rank as of- ficer commanding for the St. John’s subdivi- sion. His duties will be somewhat similar but with added responsibili- ties. r to face new challenges During his stay in Ter- race, Evans has been an active. member of the Rotary Club. ‘We have - the only police vehicle in Canada that’s a Honda, a donation from the Rotary Club, to promote policing and service groups in working to- gether, Evans, along with his wife Shirley, an agent at the Canada Employment Centre, plan to retire in the Kamloops area. Evans also has three daughters, Colleen, Carol and Lori. The vehicle was a donation from the Terrace Rotary Club to promote policing and service groups in working together, drinking become apparent Weeber said, ‘‘along with local wishes and views.’’ Weeber went on to propose that the pro- vincial government be approached with a de- mand for amendments to the liquor control act providing regional ratification by referen- dum for any future changes. The motion was approved by the board. Although the apparent impact in Terrace isn’t nearly as dramatic, local representatives recently indicated some prob- lems. Inspector Ron Evans .of the Terrace RCMP said, ‘‘It hasn’t made a real difference to us, but we would prefer that the bars were not open on Sunday. We _ were formerly able to catch up some of our work on the ‘day of rest’, but now it’s just like any other day of the week, Things aren’t to the point where it’s a burden and we haven't - required extra staff, but our time isn’t as flexible. We're no longer able to give members Sunday off in lieu of overtime worked during the week.’’ Evans also remarked that the character of Sunday bar patrons has gradually chdnged, saying that the initial novelty of going out for a couple of drinks on Sunday has given way to many in- dividuals starting at noon and remaining for several hours. Picking up drunks on Sunday night, he said, has become as commonplace as it is any other day of the week. Evans, however, ex- pressed disagreement with the idea of regional control over liquor laws. “The different laws in separate areas of the province would be con- fusing to the public, par- ticularly tourists and those who travel from one region to another,”’ he observed. The policy should have centraliza- tion, not fragmentation, he said, and concluded by calling regional con- trol ‘‘a regressive step’’. Philip Musselman, a student in the Job Entry Program at Doug Foster, program director for Northwest Alcohol and Drug Counseling in Terrace, stated that his agency’s . workload has increased somewhat because “some of the people we're already treating are having more prob- lems’’. Foster said that in spite of the addition of another half-time coun- selor to his staff, the agency has a caseload 60-80 percent beyond its expected capacity and it would not be able to take on more clients regard- less of demand. Northwest Community College, will be working at the Ter- race Review for the next six weeks. If you would Ilke news coverage on a community event, please call 635-4339. Ais Ta ee BEN per