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Gunning for big bucks through Project Play

With hopes of getting new artificial turf for the Kugluktuk arena and funds to afford a climbing wall and soccer nets, recreation coordinator Matt Craddock was finalizing an entry into the annual Kraft Heinz Project Play contest last week.

New artificial turf for the arena is one of the priorities if Kugluktuk can win prize money through Project Play.
Pixabay photo

The winning community receives $250,000 while the three runners-up each get $25,000. The four finalists will be announced on Oct. 13. Then, following a round of national voting, the grand-prize winning community will be revealed on Oct. 28.

"We're crossing our fingers that we make the final four," Craddock said. "That's going to be an exciting one... In my head, (the money is) already spent."

Even if Kugluktuk is successful, Craddock said the new turf couldn't be installed until spring 2020 because it would have to be delivered on sealift in 2019. It would arrive in the late summer, leaving too short of a window to install it before the ice rink season begins, so the turf would go in storage until spring of 2020.

"There's just no way we could afford to do it any other way," he said.