
Photo by Whitehorse Star
Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn and Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon
Photo by Whitehorse Star
Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn and Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon
The Yukon government did not consult with the City of Whitehorse before deciding to pull the territory’s bid for the 2027 Canada Winter Games, according to both governments.
The Yukon government did not consult with the City of Whitehorse before deciding to pull the territory’s bid for the 2027 Canada Winter Games, according to both governments.
A memorandum of understanding stated the Yukon government and the City of Whitehorse would be co-hosts for the Games, as well as equal partners in “public communications, and engagement with representatives of the Canada Games Council.”
But Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn told the legislature Thursday that the cabinet had unilaterally decided to pull the bid after the federal government offered only a fraction of the requested $138 million in funding for the project.
“Based on that, cabinet met and decided we could not afford to host the Canada Games in 2027,” he told the legislature.
“We informed our partners of that decision immediately, because we knew the Canada Games would have to find a new host city, and that’s what happened.”
The federal government offered $16.75 million, including $3 million in capital funding.
The territory’s bid estimated the Games would cost about $185 million. The government announced the bid withdrawal Monday via press release.
In an email to the Star Thursday, city spokesperson Oshea Jephson said the city was not consulted about the decision to withdraw.
“We were informed of the territory’s decision on the morning of Nov. 14,” the email reads. That’s the date the withdrawal was announced.
“Mayor and council did discuss the possibility of a Plan B, which included a scaled-back version of the plans for Takhini Arena.”
Two pieces of legacy infrastructure the territory was hoping to gain from the Games were a larger, modern replacement for the 36-year-old Takhini Arena – estimated cost $111 million – and $60 million to $65 million worth of housing for athletes, which would then become residential units for Yukoners.
The 2007 Games left Whitehorse with the $43-million Canada Games Centre.
Mostyn told reporters Thursday afternoon that those pieces of infrastructure were essential for the Games to be worthwhile, and 18 months of work had produced the tightest possible bid with which the government felt comfortable.
“Cabinet makes a decision on whether or not we can afford it,” Mostyn said. “We’re fronting the money for the Games.
“The city came forward with $11 million. We made a decision whether we could front $160 million.”
Mostyn said cabinet ministers decided that price was far too high for the territory to pay alone.
The government then told its partners on the bid that it would not support it without federal funding.
“That was the tightest bid we could get with our partners meeting the needs of the games committee.”
Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon was concerned that the territorial government hadn’t fully included the city in that decision. He wondered if a lower bid should have been considered when the federal government’s funding offer was lower than expected.
“That doesn’t live up to the MOU (memorandum of understanding) that the minister entered with the City of Whitehorse,” Dixon told reporters Thursday.
“I don’t think that the government did a good enough job looking at other options that could reduce the size and scope of the project of the bid.”
He said there should have been a reconsideration of the Takhini Arena replacement. He noted the 2007 Games didn’t have a 3,500-person capacity facility for ceremonies, or a bigger rink than what’s available in Whitehorse now.
But another sheet of ice would have been needed for the 2027 Games because the Stan McCowan Arena in Porter Creek was demolished after the 2007 event.
And, as Mostyn recalled in the legislature, the huge tent used for the 2007 Games was temporary, expensive and not energy-efficient.
Mostyn told reporters the bid in its original form was the tightest possible financially.
However, he later told the legislature’s committee of the whole Thursday afternoon that the city had come up with a backup plan.
“Last week, the administration of the City of Whitehorse approached and said that they might be more willing to look at a different option,” he told the committee, saying he’d only just been informed of that.
“As I said, I have not yet explored any scaled-back version with my counterpart at the City of Whitehorse, but that’s what went down there.
“Apparently, the City of Whitehorse is more amenable now to a scaled-back version.
“I don’t know precisely what that looks like, what the costs would be involved with that, or really, what the City of Whitehorse’s full plans or offers are on the table, but as I said, as far as the bid that we put before the Canada Games Council, which met the requirements laid out by Canada Games 18 months ago, that bid is still on the table with the Canada Games Council and does not have all three governments’ funding support.”
Earlier this week, Mostyn said the bid was likely dead, as time is running out to get work underway on the infrastructure required for 2027.
See related story.
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Comments (17)
Up 15 Down 1
Anie on Nov 21, 2022 at 2:34 pm
But Wilf, neither the Territory nor COW have that $185 million that you want to divert to housing. So what's your point? Are you suggesting that the feds should just send that amount anyway? Not likely to happen.
Up 6 Down 26
Parent on Nov 21, 2022 at 1:40 pm
I agree with Currie Dixon that the Liberals should keep talking with the city and figure out a way to host the games. Maybe there could be a slightly cheaper option that would still allow us to go ahead? I wish currie dixon was Premier, as a hockey player he would get this done, no matter the money involved. Sometimes the financial debt is worth it.
Up 4 Down 9
Yukoner on Nov 21, 2022 at 8:28 am
@Larry Hillman
Middle School sounds about on level for the Territorial Government so Currie would probably be a great Class President!
Up 14 Down 6
iBrian on Nov 21, 2022 at 6:02 am
Being poor white trash it’s hard to watch all these other family’s put thousands of dollars into their kids sporting activities. The same family’s that are complaining about electrical rates, plowed roads and not getting new hockey arena. Sometimes I wish I lived in South Africa where all we needed was a soccer ball to play sports.
Up 12 Down 5
moe on Nov 20, 2022 at 6:41 pm
$111 million dollars for Takhini Arena to make a new hockey rink. This is stupendously ridiculous. Dixon, put a cork in it. Richard Mostyn might be grabbing an excuse to kill this, and if he is, more power to him.
Up 31 Down 7
BnR on Nov 20, 2022 at 11:51 am
Sounds like Currie was totally on board with this bid.
So much for his whole fiscal responsibility schtick.
Up 20 Down 21
Larry Hillman on Nov 20, 2022 at 10:53 am
Every week Dixon sounds more and more like the class whiner running for
Class President in Middle School.
He will be a disaster if he ever gets to be Premier of a place as complicated as THE Yukon
Up 36 Down 8
John on Nov 19, 2022 at 11:37 am
The liberals consult. That's rich. Don't you love it when they start fighting among themselves. First they crap on their buddies in Ottawa (along with some good old whining and snivelling), mention not a word to the party base (FN), don't tell Frau White, and then to top things off give the COW raspberries.
Can't write a better script then this.
Up 32 Down 5
Wilf Carter on Nov 19, 2022 at 10:53 am
Put the $185 million into housing, land and labor market development of Yukon. There are a lot of Yukoners looking for housing that want to work here like health care staff who had meetings this week.
Up 36 Down 15
Dithering Dixie on Nov 19, 2022 at 8:17 am
Yet more drama with no purpose. Done deal, Dixon. Grow up.
Up 42 Down 7
George on Nov 18, 2022 at 8:32 pm
Who cares who consulted who and when, blah blah blah
Just be happy that this is cancelled, and heaps of money will no longer be spent.
Good job Mostyn.
Up 19 Down 31
Bob Nevin on Nov 18, 2022 at 7:37 pm
YAWN - so - is "Rape the Peel" Dixon going to run for mayor of WH next time ?
Up 21 Down 21
Roy on Nov 18, 2022 at 7:20 pm
So when this horrible and expensive idea gets resurrected we can all thank Currie Dixon and the Yukon Party for keeping it alive.
Thanks Currie! Maybe you’ll get a cool jacket out of it.
I bet it still costs taxpayers $185 million in the end. And I bet that this housing doesn’t end up as “affordable” as it’s being marketed.
For once the Yukon Liberals made the right choice. But the YP is here trying to bankrupt us. And Currie will blame the Libs for any budget overruns.
Up 18 Down 5
Juniper Jackson on Nov 18, 2022 at 7:04 pm
Keep an eye on this.. they are, every one of them sneaky and underhanded.. (though, politician's call it.. 'need to know', and i apparently don't need to know about raised taxes and massive debt.) what is a 'scaled back' version that they want to push off on us now?
Really? They know ok...
“I don’t know precisely what that looks like, what the costs would be involved with that, or really, what the City of Whitehorse’s full plans or offers are on the table, but as I said, as far as the bid that we put before the Canada Games Council, which met the requirements laid out by Canada Games 18 months ago, that bid is still on the table with the Canada Games Council and does not have all three governments’ funding support.”
Up 42 Down 4
Hobo on Nov 18, 2022 at 4:56 pm
This cancellation was the ONLY good thing this Gov't has done since grabbing power. Now, if CoW would follow suit then we can celebrate; unfortunately CoW seems not willing to drop the bid yet. Sad!
Up 11 Down 11
Bingo on Nov 18, 2022 at 4:23 pm
You mean the city who will pay for all when said and done wasn’t even given the decency to be consulted? Very disrespectful.
Up 30 Down 2
Well! on Nov 18, 2022 at 3:48 pm
I think this deal should be dead and done! Please concentrate on homes that can be affordable for everyone and what is really required in the city! This was far far too much money to be put out and relied on to have. We all could see that, but few!!!!!