Nunavut Liquor Licensing Board hops to it

Sheldon Nimchuk, right, of the Nunavut Brewing Company, makes a presentation June 23 to Iqaluit city councillors about creating an Iqaluit-based brewery. (PHOTO BY DAVID MURPHY)

Iqaluit’s own brand of beer? Some are hoping for this.

But it all depends on what the Nunavut Liquor Licensing Board decides after a public consultation Sept 9.

Two groups, the Nunavut Brewery Co. and Iqaluit Brewery Co., have been invited to present their cases to the board explaining why the city needs its own locally brewed suds.

The public is invited to attend the hearing and voice their opinions.

Attendees will have a maximum of five minutes each to explain why they like or don’t like the idea at the hearing.

Formal objections to the breweries were required to be submitted 10 days prior to the meeting.

The board will then release a written decision some time later, to both the applicants and the public.

According to the Nunavut Liquor Act, persons over the age of 19 are eligible to seek a brewery license from the Liquor Licensing Board to brew and sell alcohol in the territory.

Applicants must also seek permission from the municipality where the alcohol will be produced — in the case of the two breweries, the City of Iqaluit.

Iqaluit city council already gave that permission at a July 14 meeting, though narrowly.

Deputy mayor Romeyn Stevenson cast the tiebreaking vote in favour of the entrepreneurs.

The Nunavut Brewing Co. consists of five principle investors who aim to produce roughly 1,500 liters of beer a day in a business model worth approximately $3 million.

The smaller Iqaluit Brewing Co., headed by a group that includes Hunter Tootoo, projects production of 2,000 liters of beer per week. Tootoo is currently running for the Liberals in the upcoming federal election.

The liquor board’s Sept. 9 meeting to consider these two liquor licence applications will begin at 7 p.m. at the Iqaluit cadet hall.