INUVIK - A group of more than 50 residents met at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex Monday evening to figure out a way to prevent the demise of the Inuvik Curling Club.

Current president Nick Saturnino chaired the meeting that attracted residents of all ages and laid out the simple fact that the club would have to increase its revenue by about $50,000 a year or fold.

Nick Saturnino, Inuvik Curling Club president, consults with a group attending Monday's meeting at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex to discuss ways to generate revenue to keep the group alive. Counter-clockwise, from Saturnino are, Trista Arey, Roy Ipana, Dustin Arey, Donovan Arey and David Kendi. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

After breaking into groups to discuss solutions, participants shared their ideas.

Many suggested ramping up advertising for the club, which would include appealing to business owners to purchase advertising signs that would be placed in the rink. Other ideas ranged from hiring a club manager whose specific job would be to generate revenue for the club, to jacking up membership fees, to increasing the number of bonspiels held at the venue.

Karen King is considering taking an executive position with the club this year and she said there has to be a collective effort to make it work.

"We're missing out on revenue that we could be capturing," she said. "You see by the show of people here today that there is a lot of support. If we commit to its survival we can do it."

The gathering came a week after Saturnino told Inuvik council the curling club needed to find an alternative way to raise $70,000 this year because the town would not issue a six-month bingo series to the group which has become a fundraising lifeline for the club in past years.

Saturnino was told at the meeting that there were too many groups vying for too few bingo dates and the curling club was excluded because compared to the competition the group does not appeal to as many "youth and elders."

A leasing agreement signed with the town in 1997 requires the club to pay $15,000 to use the curling rink area and upstairs bar as well as the annual utility costs associated with running the facilities, which amounted to $80,000 last year, up from $46,000 five years ago.

Some in attendance at the meeting argued that the lease, which runs until 2017 and also requires the curling club to pay a percentage of the recreation complex's overall utility bill, is unfair and should be renegotiated. George Vlanich also accused the town of falling short on youth program development.

Currently the club's secretary, said he's willing to take on any role required of him with the group this season.

"The club needs the involvement of the entire membership," he said. "We need to start promoting the actual curling facility and making better use of it. Those are the keys of carrying it on."

At the Sept. 21 council meeting, Sara Brown, Town of Inuvik SAO, agreed to meet with Saturnino the following evening to come up with an agreement to bring to council. But the proposals from both sides were very different.

Brown proposed the club pay a flat fee of $25,000 to cover its six-month season and relinquish its exclusivity rights to the lounge and locker area. The town would take over responsibility of managing the lounge and it would take over half the locker area for the purpose of building offices. The club would get to hold two events at the bar room free of charge.

Saturnino proposed the club pay a $30,000 flat fee for this year and maintain exclusive rights to the facilities as the club looks for ways to increase revenue and honour its leasing agreement.

Council deferred the decision to a future meeting. But Saturnino said he plans to reiterate his proposal at council's committee of the whole meeting on Monday to get a final decision at Wednesday's regular meeting. He said the club's season is scheduled to start early this month and an answer is needed immediately.

"I'm going to put them to the test," he said. "I'm going to ask 'Are you going to take this or not?' and I'm hoping many members will be there to support me."

Saturnino said he was impressed by the turnout to Monday's event and the ideas people brought forth, especially about advertising, and said he's ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work.

He said in the end he would be willing to negotiate with the town any deal which would be in the best interest of the club, even relinquishing some of the facilities.

"We're willing to give up some of the facility," he said. "It's all negotiable if the deal comes right."

The curling club will hold its annual general meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6.