Inuvik to again debate prospect of Sunday bar hours

Inuvik's town council will hold another public meeting to discuss whether the Mad Trapper Bar should be open on Sunday more than 10 times a year.

The new proposal, from owner Rick Adams, would have the downtown bar open on Sundays for half the year, from April 1 to Sept. 30.

Adams was not available for comment, but his request says "this will allow us to respond to the seasonal tourist and transient workers and returning summer students over these months."

This is not Adams'first request for a bylaw change.

Last December, he made a similar request asking for bars to be able to serve alcohol every Sunday. At a town meeting, a majority of people who attended were not in support of the bylaw change.

"If the public sufficiently, or in significant enough numbers, does not support such a thing based on moral grounds, I think that does give the town some discretion to deny the request based on what the community's popular opinion is," says Steven Baryluk, Inuvik's deputy mayor.

The town voted down the previously requested bylaw change but Baryluk says that although it may meet the same fate, this new bylaw request should also be heard by the public.

"Some of us felt that that was a significant enough change from his previous proposal to warrant having an opportunity to take it up to the public again He's a legitimate business and he should have the opportunity to take his case to the town."

Adams put his business up for sale in March after the first bylaw request didn't pass.

The current bylaw allows bars to serve alcohol on 10 Sundays per year.

Since his bar doesn't serve food, Adamshas to close on most Sundays.

In his new request, Adams states that "I consider the current bylaw to be unfair and it appears to restrict my operation as a business."

Adams adds that the extra day would allow him to hire more staff and provide entertainment.

The public meeting is expected to take place in January.