Yellowknife (Feb 08/06) - The Canadian military will likely scrap Yellowknife's biennial air show unless city council provides more funding, according to Mayor Gord Van Tighem.

The Yellowknife International Air Show is one of 14 community groups which shares $300,000 in yearly core funding grants from the city. The air show gets $10,000 every two years.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem: Canadian Forces "inferred" that the air show would be cancelled if the city didn't come up with more money.

The show is attended by about 3,000 spectators and organizers hope that will double this summer. The event features performances by Canada's famed Snowbirds plus a host of other flying acts. The show's organizers include City Hall and the Department of National Defence.

In December, council rejected a request to boost air show funding by $15,000.

On Monday, the increase was back on the table - this time with a majority of councillors prepared to support the increase, if it comes from council's $100,000 contingency fund.

When asked if this year's show is in jeopardy unless the city coughs up more money, Van Tighem said that's what was "inferred" by officials with Canadian Forces Northern Area headquarters, now known as Joint Task Force North.

"There is that potential," said Van Tighem, who has sat on the air show committee for nine years.

"The military's contribution has been increasing over the years and the city hasn't been to the same extent, so this is an opportunity to make up for that."

Van Tighem said the air show operates as a "partnership between the city and the military." At Monday's council committee meeting, the mayor said volunteers raise about $50,000 through local fundraising, and Canadian Forces contributes another $55,000 for the event.

Lt. Col. Drew Artus, who chairs the air show committee, said the military provides more than that.

"If you add salaries, time and everything else, it's quite more than that," said Artus.

Last December, Artus told council the rising cost of insurance and fuel is making the air show difficult to put on at its current funding level.

Artus said he had no idea council was reconsidering the group's request on Monday, although he has had conversations with Van Tighem about it recently.

Volunteers for the air show have resigned since council rejected their funding request because the "city didn't appear interested," he said.

"The air show expressed that to the mayor, and he said, 'no, no, don't get me wrong the air show is important to the City of Yellowknife,'" said Artus.

The air show has also applied for a $20,000 one-time special grant but they won't get it because council changed the rules last year, forbidding core funded groups from obtaining special grants.

While most councillors expressed reservations about dipping into the contingency fund, at least half - Couns. Doug Witty, Alan Woytuik, Dave McCann, Bob Brooks - indicated they will support the request when the item comes forward at their next regular public meeting.

Couns. Kevin O'Reilly and Mark Heyck said they would not.

"If we offer this organization this opportunity, we'll have to do it for everyone else," said Heyck.

The Yellowknife Foster Family Association hoped to receive first-time core funding this year.

Its $7,500 request to send foster children to a summer camp was turned down. The group has since applied to the city for a $5,000 special grant.

"We basically have to start from scratch and look to different groups who have sponsored us in the past," said Kirsten Burke, the association's executive director.

Woytuik and Witty have also asked for a review of core funding criteria.

Both have suggested in the past that the city should wean certain community groups off yearly funding if they don't make an effort to become more self-sustainable.

Last December, Woytuik pointed the finger directly at Caribou Carnival and Folk on the Rocks.

He said the air show is different because it has a lot of community support.

"Caribou Carnival, the last few years, has been questionable whether it's even a go," said Woytuik. "That tells me how much community support is behind it."