Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Jolene Hughes said she did not set out to become the new Caribou Carnival president last Thursday when she attended the association's annual general meeting.

"I have the time. I wanted to volunteer," she said.

Caribou Carnival treasurer Catherine McManus, left, and president Jolene Hughes hold up past Caribou Carnival buttons. The two young women form half of the new carnival committee. - Lauren McKeon/NNSL photo

But only seven others showed up and Hughes, who has not previously been involved with the carnival, found herself signing up for more than she planned for.

"I didn't know I'd go from nothing to (jumping in) head first," she said.

Hughes' friend, Catherine McManus, who the young woman recruited to volunteer, signed up to become the group's treasurer.

Not that Hughes or McManus display anything but enthusiasm.

"I think we need to be positive about it or nothing is going to work," said Hughes.

Hughes ran her first meeting Saturday afternoon. The young woman, who is in her early 20s and hails from small town Ontario, was bursting with ideas and had already gathered a group of equally enthusiastic volunteers to help her.

"We want things to be reminiscent of what they used to be," she said.

But with a modern spin.

The group batted around a range of ideas from an ice fishing derby, to the auctioning of high-profile community members and firefighters, to raise funds to hosting junior versus old-timer hockey games.

"We want (Caribou Carnival) to take over the city," said Hughes. "I want it to be big."

Chief among the new committee's ideas was to boost the cultural aspect and overall community spirit of the carnival and in turn offer something for "everybody from every aspect."

Many groups want to be involved, said Hughes, and she could see no reason they couldn't be.

Despite Hughes being young and new on the job, she has already impressed the mayor.

Gord Van Tighem told council members at Monday's committee meeting he was "quite thrilled" to come out of Thursday's AGM seeing a group of enthusiastic new board members elected.

Van Tighem called Hughes a "visionary president with lots of ideas."

Anyone looking to volunteer for the carnival is asked to contact Hughes. The association is still looking for a co-ordinator.