The city will apply for federal funding that could go toward upgrading Pioneer Cemetery and moving the cenotaph from city hall to the cemetery.

On Monday evening, council voted in favour of submitting a funding application to the Canada 150 program.

That federal initiative allocates cash toward projects commemorating Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017. It funds 75 per cent of projects up to a maximum of $500,000.

With the cenotaph move and work at Pioneer Cemetery anticipated to cost more than $660,000, if approved, the project would be eligible to receive the full $500,000 maximum.

Whether the project goes ahead, though, will be an issue to be looked at in next year’s budget.

Coun. Dave Stockdale proposed deferring the funding application last night.

Other council members argued against it. They noted other applications are coming in for the $6.4 million that’s been allocated for the three territories, and the city could lose out on the potential funding opportunity.

Stockdale’s motion to defer came in light of a presentation by Michael Janssen-Breidahl. The local resident argued strongly against moving the cenotaph, noting it would lose its community visibility.

“If you cannot see it, is it relevant?” he questioned during his presentation.

Almost everyone gets to see the war memorial everyday as they move past city hall on Second Avenue, Janssen-Breidahl noted.

He also argued moving it to a quieter location could make it a prime spot for vandals.

Other cenotaphs in Canada, and even the National War Memorial in Ottawa, have been desecrated over the years, he pointed out.

The city hall location is symbolic and important, he said.

It even has practical benefits in that the location offers bathrooms nearby when cadets are stationed there, Janssen-Breidahl added.

Pioneer Cemetery, meanwhile, has little in the way of traffic, which means many will not get that daily reminder of the sacrifice made during war time, he said.

“It must be seen that as Canadians, we stand on guard for thee,” he said.

Funding from Canada 150 could be used for any number of other worthy projects, Janssen-Breidahl told council.

Mayor Dan Curtis noted the lack of space to accommodate large numbers who may want to attend ceremonies at the cenotaph in its current location.

Janssen-Breidahl suggested the city could close off a portion of the street to accommodate event crowds.

Red Grossinger, the special projects co-ordinator for the Whitehorse branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, noted this morning that doing that on a major city artery “causes a major headache for the citizens of Whitehorse.”

There have been a couple of occasions that it’s been done, but it’s not an ideal situation, he said in an interview.

And when the road is left open, it’s difficult to hear those who are speaking due to the traffic. It becomes a safety concern when those attending have to stand near or on the road, he added.

“It’s dangerous,” Grossinger said.

There’s a large empty area at the cemetery that could accommodate the cenotaph (for which the local Legion purchased the stone work) and allow people to “gather in peace,” he said.

Having a number of veterans who were from Whitehorse buried in Pioneer Cemetery also makes it an appropriate choice, Grossinger noted.

He also pointed out that the city may need the current cenotaph space for its building consolidation project which is planned to include a new service building on the property downtown.

No detailed designs have been done for that building yet.

Janssen-Breidahl argued the connection between city hall and the cenotaph is important.

Grossinger noted most cenotaphs throughout the country are not on the same site as their city or town hall.

Dawson City’s cenotaph, for example, is next-door to the town’s new hospital.

The project to upgrade the Pioneer Cemetery has been in the work for some time through the legion, RCMP veterans group and Yukon Order of Pioneers.

Curtis noted last night the proposal to shift the cenotaph came about through a proposal by the city, with the group working on the cemetery plans in favour of it.

Grossinger said this morning the entire cemetery project will include fencing and stone work. Also planned are a walking path and signs detailing the lives of prominent Whitehorse pioneers in addition to the potential move of the cenotaph.

“This is quite a major project,” he said.

While public meetings have been hosted on the plans, he pointed out, few people attended them.

Of those who did attend, he acknowledged reaction was mixed.

A number of dog owners were not pleased at that point with potentially losing space they were using in the cemetery. The city has since established a dog park elsewhere in the area.

Council’s vote in favour of submitting the funding application came after a wording amendment which will now leave it open for the city to submit further applications to the fund for other potential projects.

While Stockdale was defeated in his initial motion to defer the matter, he ultimately voted with the rest of council in favour of submitting the application.

As Coun. John Streicker noted, “time is of the essence” to get the application in, and there’s still time for a longer discussion on the future of the cenotaph.

Curtis attended Monday’s meeting by conference call.