After months of debate, city council adopted a bylaw last night that approves a crematorium to be built in Porter Creek.

At its weekly meeting, council listened to Porter Creek residents who oppose the plan before hearing a report from the city planning committee's Coun. Doug Graham.

'An incinerator for human bodies does not belong in our neighbourhood,' said 12-year Whitehorse resident Bonnie Wood.

She was given five minutes before council to state her case against the crematorium, which will be built where Centennial Street meets the Alaska Highway.

Wood raised concerns about emotional stress caused by the crematorium, the potential for smoke flumes to impair visibility for drivers in the winter, and harmful emissions.

'For those who may feel stress about burning dead bodies down the street, they cannot de-stress at home,' she said.

Wood said she is not against a crematorium and in fact supports the service. She asked council to vote on the side of caution, saying the long-term effects of living near a crematorium are unknown.

'We don't know all there is to know.'

Darcy Lacoste, another Porter Creek resident, told council he is concerned about property values.

He said he and his family are selling their lot and fear a crematorium would ruin the hard work he's put into saving up to sell the land and buy a new home.

'We've lost a business opportunity with the development of this,' he said. 'To have the time I've spent working for my dream home to be dismissed is ... there's no words for it.'

Graham, a Porter Creek resident himself, reviewed research about environmental concerns, property values and evaluation plans before suggesting council vote in favour of the proposed bylaw amendment. A bylaw amendment was needed to rezone the building site.

'We have a responsibility to protect people's health and a responsibility to make progress for our municipality,' said Graham.

He reviewed evidence presented at last week's committee meeting. That data showed new crematoriums are built to higher environmental standards and therefore pose 'little risk' in terms of environmentally harmful emissions.

Coun. Dave Stockdale told council and the 10 city residents in attendance that after he consulted with real estate agents, it's unclear how property values would be affected by the crematorium. Graham said after studying a Calgary crematorium in a residential neighbourhood, he found property values not to have decreased.

Jim Yamada, a veteran Whitehorse property appraiser, told council several weeks ago he could find no evidence to suggest the project would either raise or lower property values.

Graham also said he has spoken to Premier Dennis Fentie, and has been assured the territorial government will monitor environmental emissions across the territory, the crematorium included.

When it came time for council to vote near the end of the meeting, the room went silent.

'We've all struggled with this,' said Graham. 'But I am quite confident this crematorium will not pose the risks and concerns people fear that it will.'

After council members raised their hands in favour of rezoning the land for the crematorium, most of the residents in attendance stormed out angrily, talking under their breath and expressing their frustration.

After the meeting, Graham told the Star why he had voted in favour of the crematorium.

'I think I live closer (to the proposed site) than a few of the people here, that's for sure, and it's not going to increase our stress level even a little bit.'

Graham said despite the protests of the residents present at the meeting, the crematorium is not as opposed to as much as some may perceive.

'What you don't see in council meetings are the number of e-mails and phone calls we get from people who are supporting this.

'It appears that the environmental and health concerns are just not there.'

Outside the room, longtime resident Ann Dibbs said she was furious.

'Why won't they listen?' she asked. She said she was not sure whether she would continue living in Porter Creek after the crematorium is built.

The actual opening date for the Heritage North Funeral Home and crematorium is still far off, funeral home owner Chris Thompson said this morning.

'We haven't even ordered the crematorium yet,' he said.

He said he and his colleagues are 'obviously pleased' with council's decision and hope 'once it's up and operational, people will see the facts for what they are.'

Thompson said the overall construction and development costs for the project are not yet finalized, as he continues to work with architects on building plans.

The crematorium was originally scheduled to be operational this summer.

Council's delays to find more research and the Yukon government's requirements for independent land use evaluations have pushed the project back to an undetermined opening date, said Thompson.