Inuvik (Apr 07/03) - Tension is brewing between two communities in the Mackenzie Delta hosting their spring jamboree's on the same weekend.

Tuktoyaktuk's Beluga Jamboree and Inuvik's Muskrat Jamboree will both be held this weekend. At this time of year people from all around the Delta usually attend both carnivals, especially to watch or participate in the Ski-Doo races.

But this year they must choose between one or the other.

Merven Gruben, deputy mayor and member of the Tuk event's organizing committee, is not worried in the least.

"I've talked to a lot of people and everybody is going to be here. The biggest prize is here and we always have the most popular jamboree," he said.

First prize for the main event, the men's 75-mile Ski-Doo race, is a whopping $5,000. The top prize for the women's 50-mile race is $3,500. Prizes for all events combined are expected to total an impressive $45,000.

Gruben said he has no idea how both communities ended up having their carnivals on the same weekend.

"Right after our carnival last year ... we announced it was going to be on April 11-14 this year and we told everybody.

"We usually have our carnival around the second weekend of April every year and that's the way it's always going to be.

"We're not going to change it just because somebody else has it," he said.

The Tuktoyaktuk ice road is scheduled to close on April 15, noted Gruben, "and you can't have a carnival after that because nobody else would come down."

Gruben found out both carnivals were scheduled for the same weekend about two weeks ago.

He was surprised because a member of the organizing committee for the Muskrat Jamboree told him Inuvik might possibly change the date.

Gruben said he could not recall which board member he spoke to, but said the man assured him that he would ask the other committee members to consider a change in plans.

"So that's what I had assumed was going to happen, but then about two weeks ago they told me it was going to be the same time," he said.

Gerry Kisoun, head organizer of the Muskrat Jamboree, said the date for this year's carnival was decided in the fall. He said he is not sure how both carnivals were scheduled for the same weekend.

Kisoun said there is no way the Muskrat Jamboree can compete with the Beluga Jamboree when it comes to prize money.

"We can never compete with them. We were never able to," he said. However, he said he is "not at all" worried that attendance will be negatively affected.

But Inuvik Mayor Peter Clarkson said he is a little concerned.

"I think it's unfortunate because I know there are a lot of people from both communities who like to go to both jamborees and we kind of share the people in the Delta and co-operate that way.

"I am not sure what happened and it's too bad ... but I guess we will make the best of it. I am sure both Inuvik and Tuk will be hurting a bit just because they are happening at the same time," said Clarkson.