There was never any agreement between the city and the Whitehorse Kiichi Sai Judo Club for the group to take over use of the former Takhini Library, says Mayor Ernie Bourassa.

Members of the group, led by Sensai Dan Gribben, said this morning a deal was struck earlier for the club to use the building after the Whitehorse Boxing Club moves out. Gribben said he shook hands with the mayor on the agreement at an earlier meeting.

However, Bourassa said today he met with a couple of people in a judo group interested in the building, only to tell them once the boxing club leaves the structure, the city will tear it down.

'At no time was there any agreement to take over the use of the building,' Bourassa said.

The club had been sharing the building with the boxing club, but did not have a lease on the structure.

According to Gribben, the mayor said he would help the judo club work out the lease to transfer it from the boxing club. Now, he said, the city is saying it doesn't know the club is housed in the facility.

'They're saying that the lease holder has vacated and the city's going to do what they want with their property,' he commented.

From the city's view, the building creates a legal risk.

'It's a liability hazard for the city,' Bourassa said.

If something happened, like an injury, the city as the owner would likely be found 100-per-cent responsible, he commented.

The building's condition is such that it would need to be brought up to code. The city wants to tear it down and expand the park on the property.

Both Bourassa and planning manager Lesley Cabott said the city has received complaints from Takhini residents about people living in the building, though they did not say who they are.

On Tuesday afternoon, judo club members found a note on the door saying they had to have their equipment removed by 9 a.m. Thursday.

That's left Gribben and members of the club wondering why they're being told to leave.

Felicia Gordon said the club has helped her get away from the drugs and alcohol that were once a big part of her life. As she became preoccupied with judo, she left the substances behind. Now that she's seen what life is like away from them, she wants to keep it that way.

'It's really amazing the effect people can have,' she said, noting her experience after meeting Gribben and discovering judo.

Gordon said she's been trying to help people who are in the same situation she was before she discovered judo.

'It kept me out of trouble. Maybe it caught me just in time because I was really at high risk.'

She sees many friends in the same situation she was in, she said.

'Maybe I can inspire them to go to this place and now it's getting bulldozed right down,' she said.

Gribben noted the judo club received a $15,000-renovation grant from Lotteries Yukon to upgrade the building's washrooms. All that's needed now is to hook up hot water, he said.

He noted the club's efforts go beyond the sport of judo.

'They develop their character,' he said of members. 'They read, they study, they watch videos.'

Randy Robinson noted when participants leave, they take the skills they learn with them.

A food program offered at the club has helped Robinson become healthier.

'I've been getting into things that make me feel good,' he said.

Robinson introduced Gordon to the club, which they said is pretty much like family.

Gribben wouldn't specify the number of members.

'It's summer. It's not a numbers thing,' he said, adding the club is there to help people.

The group is not about how many participants there are, he said.

'That won't do it for us,' he said, adding if the city wants results, it can look to the testimony of members whose lives have changed for the better.

'Right now, it's a little bit slow and maybe they think we're not affecting too many people, but it's just getting the word out,' Gordon said.

While the building may not be so pretty on the outside, Gordon said, on the inside, it holds what she needs to keep her away from drugs and alcohol every day.

'We've been aggressively seeking a facility,' Gribben said. 'We have one and now they're pulling it right out from underneath us. And not for a good reason nothing a little paint and wallpaper won't fix.'

He pointed out the city has worked to restore other buildings around town.

'They're doing that for tourists; we're doing this for people who live in the city,' he said.

Robinson was planning to be part of the artistic design that would have been developed for the roof, he said.

'That was a big goal,' Robinson said.

Cabott said the structure likely dates back to the days of the Canadian army's presence in the area, but is not deemed a heritage structure.

A demolition date has not yet been finalized, though it will likely be fairly soon, Cabott said.

Meanwhile, the judo club is hoping it will have enough people to form a human chain around the building tomorrow morning.

'If they just give us a chance, there'll be so many lives saved,' said Ben Gribben, Dan's son, who's involved with the club. 'But if they tear it down, they're taking away the only best thing that the city ever has.'

The club will host an open house at 6:00 this evening, hoping to show the community how positive its activities are.

Cabott said if there are people standing around the structure when it's set to be razed, Whitehorse RCMP could be contacted.