SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Caribou Carnival queen Heather MacKenzie had to wear a fur hat at Caribou Capers last week, after organizers realized the traditional crown of antlers was missing.

Caribou Carnival Queen Heather MacKenzie wears the official crown Sunday at the closing ceremonies of the Caribou Carnival. The crown had been written off as lost by the organizers, but your friendly neighbourhood newspaper reporter tracked it down. - Tim Edwards/NNSL photo

"I encourage you all to go on your own quest (to find) the crown," Caribou Carnival director Rick Poltaruk told the audience at Caribou Capers.

Yellowknifer took him up on the challenge.

As Poltaruk had said the crown had been lost in the shuffle between this carnival and last year's carnival, Yellowknifer attempted to call past carnival executive director Tiffany Gallivan, past treasurer Catherine McManus, and past president Jolene Hughes - but was unable to contact them.

Yellowknifer then called the mayor's wife, Carol Van Tighem. She had been executive director of the 50th anniversary Caribou Carnival in 2005, and was involved in the quest for the crown in 2004, when the redesigned crown of antlers fur and diamond was unveiled.

"When I left there were two crowns," said Van Tighem, but she had no other leads to offer. Her involvement with the carnival ended after 2005.

On Friday, Yellowknifer made the trek to Fort Caribou to discuss the case with Chief Caribou Cop Blake Lyons.

At mention of the crown, Lyons took the reporter aside and said he suspected a globe-spanning conspiracy that involved the British royal family.

"We all know who steals crowns around here," said Lyons, followed by accusatory mumbling involving Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

Lyons said in order to find the crown, the community would need to donate enough money - in British pounds - to pay for a one-way flight to England. Lyons said he would then investigate and bring the thieves back to Yellowknife.

As it turned out, it was an easy case to solve. A phone call to last year's Caribou Carnival queen, Jennie Elsdon, unravelled the mystery. Elsdon, a dental assistant with Adam Dental Clinic, said she still had it in her possession but was no thief.

She said last year's organizers told her to hang onto it and no one had contacted her this year to reclaim it.

"I definitely wasn't trying to abscond with the crown," she said.

Elsdon turned the crown over to Yellowknifer without hesitation, and Yellowknifer gave it back to Poltaruk.

At Sunday's closing ceremonies, Mayor Gord Van Tighem crowned MacKenzie and all was well with the world.

Poltaruk thanked Elsdon for taking care of the crown and returning it when called upon, and MacKenzie, understandably, was also grateful for the crown's return.

"I look forward to wearing it for the rest of the day," said MacKenzie. "I'm glad it was found and the tradition can carry on."

Case closed. Until next year, of course.