INUVIK
It looks like residents won't be dabbing their bingo cards for the usual big prizes during the Muskrat Jamboree weekend festivities this year.

A team led by Larry Greenland, front left, powered its way through this round of the plank-walking contest at last year's Muskrat Jamboree. Many activities are returning for this year's event, but not bingo because organizers missed a deadline to apply for a licence. - NNSL file photo

In a presentation to committee of the whole Jan. 26 in town council chambers, the Muskrat Jamboree Committee revealed it had missed the deadline to apply for a lottery licence from the town in order to hold its annual bingo.

Committee member Bernice Furlong told council that a former member of the group who handled the application in past years had left town, and the group forgot to file for the necessary licence in order to hold the bingo event.

According to the group's presentation, the bingo is one of the largest money draws for the Jamboree in order to cover the costs of gifts and prizes throughout the weekend.

While the committee can make an official request to the town to review the dates, Mayor Floyd Roland said that the review hasn't always worked out in favour of groups who missed the deadline.

"We've had groups miss their dates and had to go back and make a request and that didn't happen," Roland said.

Acting town senior administrative officer Gary McBride said licences for both the Friday and Saturday of the Muskrat Jamboree, scheduled for March 27 to 30, have already been assigned to Children First Society and Inuvik Speedskating.

"There is no ability to swap dates," said McBride after the committee asked if it could be possible.

Roland told the three-person delegation that the only way the bingo could be held is if the committee approached one of the other organizations about co-sharing the bingo.

In a recommendation to council, town SAO Grant Hood, who wasn't at the meeting, said the town should set aside dates in future for the Jamboree in order for the long-standing event to secure a lottery licence and avoid missing out on the opportunity to other groups in town. Roland said town council will look into this and make a decision at an upcoming council meeting.

Furlong said setting aside firm dates may be difficult, since the dates for the Jamboree shift every year depending on two factors - when Easter weekend falls and when Aklavik plans to hold its annual jamboree.

Dates for the jamboree are set during the organization's annual general meeting which is held in August each year, and Furlong said they could provide dates to the town at that time in order to secure a lottery licence for the next year's event.

The Muskrat Jamboree makes approximately $30,000 from its annual bingo.