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It's almost Toonik Tyme

Iqaluit gets ready for festivities

Christine Kay
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Mar 24/03) - The Toonik Tyme festival in Iqaluit is fast approaching and the organizing committee promises this year's festival will be a great welcome to spring.

The festival has been held in Nunavut's capital since 1965 and its popularity is growing bigger each year.

"There's a lot of new faces in the crowds during events for Toonik Tyme. Tourists are coming in from other Nunavut communities and from down South just for the event," said Crystal Jones, Iqaluit's program coordinator.

The official opening ceremonies will take place April 7 at Nakasuk school with a band providing some music and a fashion show focused on seal skin, caribou skin, amautis and kamiqs. Jones, however, said the festivities will start a of days before the opening and end on April 13. The highlight of this year's festival will be a new event - Fear Factor Night. To enter, contestants can buy a $5 ticket from the city's recreation department. Six tickets will be drawn during the opening ceremonies and those six will be the lucky contestants. Fear Factor Night will be held at the Legion April 9. The prize amounts to $5,000 and Jones would only say that it was a good travel package.

"The Fear Factor Night will draw a big crowd. I think it will be a fun event," she said.

Also this year, the organizing committee is bringing the Miss Toonik Beauty Pageant.

"I'm not quite sure how long it's been since the pageant was held, but it's been a few years and we're bringing it back," explained Jones.

The deadline to enter the pageant is March 28 and each contestant should be corporately sponsored.

Be looking for official Toonik Tyme schedules in Iqaluit post office boxes within the next week. Times and locations for all events including snowmobile and dogsled races, a golf tournament on ice and Inuit games will be listed.

Iqaluit celebrates spring only once a year so get out there and take advantage of it.