Town takes over annual festival
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Jan 22/01) - Toonik Tyme will continue for another year after the Town took over the job of organizing the event.
They were forced to act after the corporation's president and board resigned.
"Considering the lack of interest shown ... we are returning the ball to your court, so to speak," wrote Shani Watts in a letter to the mayor.
Upset with the small number of volunteers and the lack of support, Watts said she and four other volunteers on the committee gave up organizing the festival because no one else was prepared to help.
She said Nunavut Tourism declined, citing they were territory-based. The Baffin Chamber of Commerce also turned her away.
Mayor John Matthews said the town has now given the job to its recreation department.
"We are now in the process of trying to develop another committee."
The mayor was not able to ensure, however, that the same apathy will not shroud the festival's organization again.
"Generally people are overworked here and there has been an increase in workloads since the (NWT) split and the extent of volunteers has decreased. This group has a lot on its plate with (the organization of the March 2002) Arctic Winter Games," he said.
The Toonik Tyme celebrations are held annually in April, offering everything from bannock-making to traditional sports.
