Former Iqaluit booze can boss misses court date

Former booze-can boss Joseph Morneau was a no-show at a court hearing in the Nunavut Court of Justice last week.

Morneau was scheduled to appear in court in Iqaluit Jan. 8 in order to set a date for an upcoming trial. He is facing seven counts of violating the Liquor Act.

Morneau ran the notorious “booze can,” an illegal bar operating under the guise of the “Arctic Explorers’ Club.” Morneau claimed the club was devoted to Northern arts and culture. But when police raided the place, they discovered Morneau was illegally selling alcohol.

When Morneau didn’t show up at the courthouse on Jan. 8 there was some confusion as to whether he had been served with a summons to appear in court. Crown prosecutor Richard Meredith said he would look into the matter.

The former Iqaluit resident is thought to now be living in Quebec. He was let go from his job as a high school teacher in Iqaluit this past summer following a conviction for selling alcohol without a permit.