In the year that's passed since the Yukon adopted the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) Act, the public has made 139 complaints about 108 properties whose tenants are engaging in harmful activity.

Since the SCAN office opened in late 2006, Yukoners have been able to report such ongoing harmful activities as prostitution, drug activity or bootlegging at residences in their communities.

As a result of the public complaint process, activity has voluntarily ceased at 20 locations, according to government figures distributed this week.

Another 17 tenants have been formally evicted after they failed to stop their activity, despite repeated warnings.

"Yukoners have shown that they support the legislation by turning to the SCAN office for assistance when there is ongoing, harmful activity in their community," Justice Minister Marian Horne said in a release.

"Yukoners tell us that they feel safer in their neighbourhoods, thanks to this legislation."

"I think it has had a positive impact on people who are trying to live downtown and raise their children," Todd Hardy, the NDP leader and longtime downtown resident, said in an interview.

Hardy was instrumental in bringing SCAN to the Yukon by introducing an opposition member's bill outlining the new legislation in 2005.

Although the governing Yukon Party initially voted against the bill, Hardy said he was "very pleased at the end of the day that all parties came together to bring this forward.

"We've made it far more difficult for (those engaging in harmful activity) to set up," he said. "Some of them move away and others give up. It has a far-reaching impact."

But Hardy said the Yukon's substance abuse issues are far from solved.

"The legislation only goes so far," he said. "No one expected the problem to disappear immediately."

Hardy added that a long-term addiction treatment centre would be a welcome addition to the community.

"It's so impossible for anyone to complete a 28-day program and be cured," he said, referring to the 28-day addiction treatment program offered by the territorial alcohol and drug services unit.

"We need to work to get people off the streets and into healthier environments."

Hardy said the disparity between the number of complaints SCAN has received and the number of times action was taken may be attributed to a lack of evidence of harmful activity or unjustified complaints.

There could be many explanations, he said.

Hardy said the effects of SCAN are felt in his own neighbourhood, as shown by a recent incident:

"Recently I went by one of the known drug houses (in downtown Whitehorse) and it seemed to be up and running again," said Hardy.

"But neighbours weren't too upset because they felt they had a mechanism to get rid of it."

Mayor Bev Buckway said this morning "the effectiveness in the first year speaks for itself.

"The first-year stats have proven to be very positive," she said. "I think it's wonderful that the residents have just picked up on this."

She called it interesting that 90 per cent of the complaints were made in Whitehorse.

"It shows that (harmful activities) are not welcome in Whitehorse."

Roxanne Livingstone, a board member of the Downtown Residents Association, said she is very impressed with SCAN's influence in the community.

"The success is visible around downtown. I walk past houses that are drug beehives, with people coming and going every six minutes. Then I see the green notice of eviction (on some houses). It's fantastic, the changes that are happening downtown.

"Some of the awful, destroyed drug houses are being bulldozed. The downtown is being cleaned up, not only phyically but in moving the drug trades," she said.

"SCAN shows that this community cares enough to stick its neck out. We care about each other enough to say, ‘No, we can't just turn a blind eye to this.' We are proactive."

The public is reminded they can call the SCAN hotline at 456-SCAN (7226) in Whitehorse or 1-866-530-SCAN (7226) if they witness ongoing prostitution, drug activity or bootlegging.