Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Last night Yellowknife had another successful Halloween Spook-a-Rama. Today I want to acknowledge the sponsorship of this event, Yellowknife’s longest standing Halloween tradition.
Spook-a-Rama has been put on by the Yellowknife Lion’s Club for the last 45 years. As long-time Lion’s Club member and organizer Don Finnamore told me, we are now getting third-generation spooks.
Spook-a-Rama was started in response to Halloween vandalism in downtown Yellowknife. Members of the Yellowknife Lion’s Club came up with the idea for a teen dance on Halloween. It would give the youth something to do in a safe environment and would cut down on vandalism Halloween night.
The event was, and still is, a partnership between Yellowknife businesses and the Lion’s Club. Originally organized by an RCMP officer who was also a Lion’s Club member, the effort to keep the kids off the streets on Halloween night is still a joint effort between the RCMP, the Lion’s Club, and DND, the Department of National Defence, funded by Yellowknife businesses.
For as long as anyone can remember, Spook-a-Rama has been held at the DND 440 Squadron/RCMP hangar at the airport. It’s for youth 13 to 18 years of age and no matter the day, it is always held on Halloween night. The event is free, and free bus service to and from is provided throughout the city. Everyone who attends is searched at the door to keep the event safe. Even if the kids go outside, they are searched when they come back in. Any adults that come in to speak with their son or daughter are escorted while they’re in the building; again for safety.
Food is always served, lots of food, I’m told, and music throughout the evening and there are prizes. The main prize is a trip for two to Edmonton provided by First Air or Canadian North. The door prizes are one of the drawing cards to get the kids to the dance. I’m told good prizes means the youth will attend.
It costs about $7,000 to put on Spook-a-Rama. That’s the cost for soft drinks, pizza, busses, advertising, DJ services and door prizes. In the mid-2000s it was touch and go whether or not enough money would be raised to hold the event, but like most northern communities, when it really counts, the community comes together and contributes what is needed, and in this case Spook-a-Rama happened one more time. Year after year Spook-a-Rama has achieved its purpose to reduce vandalism on Halloween night.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
In 2000 the Lion’s Club president said, “According to the RCMP, while we’ve been having this dance, acts of vandalism by youth 13 to 18 years old has been zero percent.” The same holds true today. To quote Mr. Finnamore one more time, “Since the Lion’s Club has been doing the event, vandalism at Halloween is almost nonexistent.”
I want to say thank you to the YK Lion’s Club for their service to our city. Congratulations on another successful Spook-a-Rama. May you have many more.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
