Yellowknife (July 30/04) - The Mad Trapper wants to sell beer, takeout style.

Amerk Investments filed an application to the NWT Liquor Board and will know the decision at a hearing on July 28 in Hay River. If successful, the Mad Trapper will become the second watering hole in town to provide the service.

Currently, Frosty's Arctic Pub 2004 is the only bar in town with a licence to sell takeout beer until 10 p.m.

When asked why the hearing was to be held in Hay River and not Inuvik, Delila St-Arneault, manager of licensing and enforcement for the board, says that only new licence applications and hearings to deal with Liquor Act violations are required to be in the community affected.

"For pre-existing licencees, the board can deal with that at any hearing," she said.

However, it's the liquor board's policy to place a notice regarding changes to its licencees' status in the local newspaper, something the board had failed to do as of press time. Speaking for the Gwich'in Tribal Council, Mary Ann Ross says that while the council was informed of the application, it has not taken an official stand on the matter.

The council will give the matter due attention, she said.

"There's a lot of social issues to be taken into consideration," she said.