Lynn Lau
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jun 20/01) - A city bar can continue to hold charity meat raffles until the government sorts out a glitch in the legislation.
That's the word Monday from Finance Minister Joe Handley.
On May 31, the owners of the Forty Below Golf sports bar received a letter from the Liquor Licensing Board advising them that their weekly charity meat raffle was in violation of the Liquor Act.
The raffle was cancelled but this week, it appears, the show can go on.
"What they're doing on the meat raffles is allowed through the Lotteries Act but is a violation of the Liquor Act," Handley said. Although neither pieces of legislation are new, the conflict just came to light recently.
"I don't think its fair to shut them down just because of an inconsistency in GNWT legislation," Handley said. "The liquor inspector ... did what was proper for him to do, but as far as further enforcement, I have no intention to do anything until we sort out the inconsistency."
He said an amendment will be made to harmonize the rules, but any changes won't become law until after the legislature reconvenes this fall.
What Handley had to say was news to the bar owners Monday.
Linda Dunsmore, a co-owner of Forty Below Golf, said she would wait for written confirmation from the department before she allows the regular Friday night raffles to continue.
"We would not take the chance," said Dunsmore. "I would like something tangible from the minister. We haven't had any official word."
Bars that ignore orders from the Liquor Licensing Board risk fines and licence suspensions.
Her partner, Bob Dunsmore, had organized a petition earlier this month and collected 250 names asking for a change in the legislation to allow the charity raffles to continue.
The raffles are run by the Forty Below Benevolent Fund, a group of regulars who got organized two years ago. Since September 1999, the raffles have raised between $500 to $1,000 for various charities each week, with most of the money going to the Stanton Regional Hospital Foundation, said Bob Dunsmore.
Another bar, the Raven's Pub, said they might continue its charity raffles, if the need arises. Raven's has raised money for charities through a weekly 50/50 cash draw since last September, but was not ordered to stop by the Liquor Licensing Board.
They stopped doing the draws for the summer, but employee Jacquie Fontana, who organizes the raffles, said she planned to resume the draws in the fall.
She was angered when she heard about the letter Forty Below Golf had received.
"The clientele loves it and they feel good about donating," said Fontana, who added she was encouraged by Handley's comments. "It's a step in the right direction. Maybe they can look at a few of the other archaic laws. If I hear back from the hospital and they need something else, we'll continue to sell tickets."
An end to the charity raffles would have dried up an important source of funds for community and non-profit groups.
Sue Glowach, executive director of the Stanton Regional Health Foundation, said donations from Forty Below Golf and the Raven's Pub accounted for just under $17,000 in the past year and a half. "It's a significant amount of money," Glowach said. "I don't know if the intent of the legislation was to take away lunch programs from kids and money from the hospitals and things like that."
