Youth centre a pipe dream

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If Richard Polchies has his way, every time smokers on the Oromocto Indian Nation light up they'll be helping make sure kids butt out.

Polchies, the operator of Jackie's Variety store on the small reserve outside of Fredericton, N.B., plans to build a recreation centre to be used the 100-odd children in the community a non-smoking drug-free recreational environment.

"My wife and I always wanted to do something good for the community," said Polchies. "This building will give kids on the reserve a good place to hang out."

The centre would host children's activities, a playground, movie nights (with a big-screen television) and card games. To use the centre, kids would be required to not smoke, drink or use drugs. Programs promoting drug and alcohol awareness, cultural education, recreation and non-smoking would also be offered.

Polchies is putting his own money into the project to fund the new building. Approximately three per cent of sales of all products in his variety store will go towards construction. Already Polchies has nearly completed an $18,000 addition to the variety store to be used as a meeting space for a community hot lunch program, all without outside financial assistance. In fact, Polchies doesn't want government help for the centre.

"Government programs don't work," said Polchies. "If I applied for money for a community centre there's too much red tape. This way I can built it using the store instead."

However, the idea for the new centre has hit some rocky road. A good portion of Polchies' business comes from selling tobacco products without charging the provincial sales tax. Which isn't a problem if the tobacco is bought Natives on a reserve as they are exempt from such taxation, explained Paul Leger, provincial tax commissioner.

But many of Polchies' customers come from the nearCanadian Forces Base Gagetown, a military centre of approximately 10,000 personnel and family.

"The problem is when store operators don't charge tax to people off the reserve," said Ledger. "Operators aren't allowed to use the tax exemption for competitive advantage."

Polchies refuses to charge the tax to off-reserve customers because it would hurt his business. He estimates sales would drop 30 per cent if he did charge tax.

The issue of tax exemption for tobacco products could destroy plans for the new centre. Polchies has applied for business development grants to raise up to $30,000 to supplement money from sales at the variety store. But those grants, sponsored the Micmac Maliseet Development Corporation of Moncton, New Brunswick, are conditional on all facets of the projects satisfying all provincial laws. That means funding is on hold until the tax issue is resolved.

If completed, the new two-level centre would be owned Polchies, not a band council or other community group.

"We don't want a band hall," said Polchies. "This is going to be a community for kids. We want the kids to look after it, not some band council. We'll teach them to respect it because it will be theirs."

The issue of who owns the new centre doesn't seem to bother people living in the Oromocto reserve. When Polchies committed to the project more than 200 people signed a petition supporting his application to band council for permission to build. Business at the variety store has perked up as the community supports the idea, Polchies said.

"The ownership factor is out of their minds," said Polchies. "They just want this building here. My wife and I aren't going anywhere. This is our home. Besides, it's not my money, it's theirs (the community). They're the ones supporting this project supporting the variety store."

The idea of using money from tobacco sales to build a centre sponsoring non-smoking programs is the first of its kind in the Atlantic provinces, said Peter MacGregor of the Atlantic Indian Health Unit of Health and Welfare Canada.

"The approach is innovative," said MacGregor. "Most non-smoking programs are community basd, where the individual community decides how exactly to promote non-smoking.

"But I'm not aware of any other community relating tobacco sales to non-smoking programs."

Studies in Quebec and Arctic show that in some populations up to 71% of teenagers under the age of 19 smoke.

Polchies hopes the new centre will change that.

"This is important, said Polchies. "These kids need a place to show them they don't have to smoke, drink, or fight. We can show them this not preaching, not lecturing; Just giving them their own place and having fun with them."

Polchies hopes to have the framework, of the new building finished the endof September.