Budgetary issues were behind the decision by Alberta and Alaska to bow out of next year’s Arctic X Games, says the minister responsible for sport in the territory.

Community Services Minister Currie Dixon said in an interview Friday afternoon exactly what was behind the budgetary constraints was not spelled out by the two jurisdictions.

One might conclude the constraints may be linked to the drop in the price of oil, as oil plays a key role in both economies, he suggested.

Dixon said there had been uncertainty for some time about the participation of Alberta and Alaska.

Sport Yukon had looked at alternatives to see if they could still make the Games work without the two.

“Ultimately, the organizing committee from Sport Yukon communicated to me that we cancel the Games now rather than go further down the road and plan and try to make it work,” he said.

With the losses of Alberta and Alaska, he said, there was a concern regarding the quality of the athletic experience and development the Games were intended to provide for the six sports excluded from the regular Arctic Winter Games being hosted by Nuuk, Greenland.

For the sport of figure skating, for instance, Nunavut wasn’t going to be sending any participants, leaving just the Yukon and the Northwest Territories to compete against each other, he pointed out.

Dixon said what remains of the $100,000 budgeted by the government to support the X Games will be made available to the individual governing bodies of those sports to use as they see fit.

Gymnasts who were scheduled to compete are now looking at competition Outside to make up for the lost opportunity, he said.

“It’s disappointing,” Dixon said. “We were obviously very excited to host the Games.

“At the same time, the real important thing to us is that athletes have the development opportunity they would have had by going to the Games.”

It was estimated 421 athletes would have been participating in the X Games if all five jurisdictions were here. The losses of Alberta and Alaska dropped that number to 289.

The International Arctic Winter Games organization officially announced last year that midget hockey, gymnastics, curling, dog mushing, figure skating and speed skating would be excluded from Nuuk because of capacity issues. The Yukon government then began pushing for an alternative for those sports.

Rick Karp, president of the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce, said today the cancellation of the X Games is a loss for the business community.

Whether they be sporting events, conferences or conventions, they all generate revenue, he said.

Karp said even though the teams would have had their meals and lodging provided, the athletes, coaches and support staff are still out walking around, visiting local businesses for gifts and memorabilia they want to take home.

There are the parents and relatives who come to watch, he said.

Karp said in late 2007 through 2008, there was an 18 per cent jump in local business created by fans who attended the 2007 Arctic Winter Games but didn’t get a chance to see more of the Yukon, so they returned.

“It’s a boon for business when these things happen,” said Karp. “It was a little disappointing that Alaska and Alberta dropped out. It was an opportunity for Whitehorse businesses to benefit.”

Russ Smoler of the Yukon Amateur Hockey Association said today the organization has not decided how it will use the money the minister is making available to the six governing bodies.

He acknowledged the loss of the X Games is not as critical to hockey as it might be for the other sports, as there is ample opportunity to travel Outside to any number of tournaments.

Yukon Amateur is also looking at a greater emphasis on the development of hockey in the smaller communities, and perhaps the money will be directed in that way, he said.

Smoler noted the RCMP, for instance, are currently planning to put on a hockey camp in Watson Lake in August for youth from across the territory.

He understands Phoenix Coyote goaltender Mike Smith will be among the guests to host the camp.

– With files from Rhiannon Russell.