Yesterday in the legislature, the typical BYOB party disclaimer took on a slightly different meaning: bring your own bear, at least from NDP member Toddy Hardy's perspective.

Hardy used question period to criticize the Yukon Liquor Corporation's annual teddy bear campaign.

"It is not the most comfortable idea ... mixing a child's cuddly toy with the grim realities of drinking, but now the corporation has outdone itself,” Hardy began.

"Now it is giving out a free desk calendar with photos of teddy bears in various poses ... a couple of the photos actually have teddy bears sitting with liquor bottles.”

January's teddy photo depicts three bears seated with a bottle beer, a bottle of Vodka and whiskey carafe, while February features teddy bears piled in a corner behind some cans of Chilkoot and several bottles of Yukon Hooch. The remainder of the months portray only teddy bears in a variety of creative settings and poses.

"Moderation is always in good taste,” is the motto emblazoned on the front of each calendar month.

For nearly 20 years, the liquor corporation has been sponsoring the Twin Bear Program, whereby customers can purchase a teddy bear for themselves and the corporation will donate one bear to an underprivileged child. For the past several years, more than 600 bears have helped brighten up Christmas for their recipients.

Corporation vice-president Virginia Labelle would not respond directly to Hardy's concerns, but explained how some of the teddy bears got mixed in with beer and spirits.

"This is the first year the bear has been featured in the calendar,” Labelle said. "Every year, liquor stores do a display and this year we decided to feature those.”

And many of the displays are very creative. One month features teddy bears battling for the Stanley Cup (with a panda bear officiating the contest), October shows a teddy bear driving a team of plush toy dogs and in March, calendar holders are treated to a cotton ball mountain scene of teddy bears riding a chair lift, skiing and tubing.

Labelle also pointed out that on the calendars' flip side there are two drink recipes – one alcoholic and the other a virgin drink, or "mocktail.”

"It doesn't have to be an alcoholic drink,” she added.

For those who remember the liquor corporation's responsible drinking campaign of last season, children's drawings depicting the dangers of drinking and driving adorned that year's free calendar.

But the program's overriding message is tarnished by the liquor and the teddy bears' proximity to it, insisted Hardy.

"Mr. Speaker, I have a picture here of teddy bears and booze. That's not something I want to show my grandchild,” he said, displaying the offending photos to MLAs and the gallery before throwing the calendar on his desk in the legislature.

"This is ridiculous.”

Jim Kenyon, the minister responsible for the liquor corporation, said he was unaware of the calendar but would investigate. He also noted the calendars feature non-alcoholic drinks and that the campaign was for a good cause.

"Many people simply buy the teddy bear and put it back in the pot,” Kenyon said. "We actually distribute more than what we have sold.”

The debate between Kenyon and Hardy shifted to Yukoners' alleged voracious appetite for wine, beer and spirits.

On a per capita basis and according to liquor corporation sales figures for last year, enough alcohol went out of the territory's off-sales and six primary outlets to provide 140 litres for every man, woman and child (4.9 million litres).

"The territory continues to have the highest rate of alcohol consumption in Canada. We spend much more on alcohol than anywhere else and we have one of the highest rates of criminal offences due to alcohol,” Hardy said. "There is no doubt the two statistics are related.”

But Kenyon blamed the Yukon's tremendous liquor sales, which garner more than $3 million in taxes each year for the territorial government, on the influx of tourists each summer.

"To take the dollar value and claim that is equivalent to consumption in a jurisdiction of 34,000, with 300,000 tourists, is simply inaccurate,” said Kenyon.