Christine Kay
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Aug 19/02) - The Rotary Club of Iqaluit won city council approval last week for its Travel Bonanza.

Approval was necessary because the lottery exceeds the current bylaw limits on prizes of $15,000.

Travise Dow, bylaw supervisor, suggested it go forward.

"I don't see any issue. We've never had an issue with Rotary. They've handed in monthly audit reports," said Dow.

The Rotary Travel Bonanza will sell tickets for 52 draws.

There will be one draw each week of the year for two people who will win return tickets to Ottawa.

All draws are at the beginning of the year, and the process is supervised by a Nunavut judge.

Names of the winners are then placed in sealed envelopes and announced weekly.

There will be two extra draws this year valued at $5,000 each.

The total prize value for the lottery is $51,496. All funds raised will go toward building the Arts and Culture Centre Project.

"After extensive consultation, we have decided that our 100th anniversary project will be to raise funds for an Arts and Culture Centre," said club president Terry Forth in a letter to the mayor and city councillors.

The Arts and Culture Centre will be in Iqaluit. It will be available for community gatherings, concerts, and theatre. Forth said they hope to have the structure up and running by 2005.

Money from the lottery will also help fund a series of walking paths around Iqaluit.

The lottery raised an additional $30,000 to the Rotary Club's fund raising efforts last year.

"We're hoping to start sales at the same time as the fall fair on Sept. 14," said Forth.