Some people skate on it, some people put it in their drinks, and if Chris Gishler gets his way, Whitehorse residents will be climbing a wall made of ice on the city's waterfront.

Gishler submitted a conditional use application to city council to set up an ice climbing wall between the Easy Home and Domino's Pizza buildings on Second Avenue.

Northern Vision Development, which owns the lot, has given consent for Gishler, of Equinox Adventure Learning, to use the property.

'The proposed ice climbing wall would consist of four separate ice towers ranging from 6 m to 18 m in height,' senior city planner Mike Gau said at Monday evening's standing committee meeting.

The development would also include a 22-square-metre building that would be used as a warm-up shelter and for limited storage, Gau said. That structure would be moved at the end of the season.

Gau said Gishler would see that a fence is constructed around the site and that security cameras be employed to ensure onsite security. Portable washrooms and parking would also be available onsite.

The ice climbing wall would take climbers vertically up the side, but an easier 'ice hike' would also be planned for the structure, said Gau, reading from a prepared statement. 'The applicant also intends to teach the basics of ice climbing onsite.'

Gishler was called up to answer councillors' questions about the ice climbing wall.

He said a similar operation was run last year out at Takhini Hot Springs. This year, the tourist attraction is to be open only on the weekends, so the ice climbing wall is moving downtown where, Gishler said he hopes, it will receive more exposure and use.

'If more people can see it, they'd be more apt to do it,' he said.

Coun. Dave Stockdale asked Gishler if the activity is high-risk, and what kind of liability insurance is needed.

'It's not really a high-risk activity, no more than I'd say driving a car down the road because if you do it in a safe way ... do you see my point?'

Stockdale answered that he did.

Gishler then explained that Equinox Adventure Learning carries a $1-million insurance policy, which will be bumped up to $2 million this winter.

Gau said the property in question is not city-owned, so the city would not be liable for any injury incurred at the ice-climbing operation.

The main obstacle, Coun. Dave Austin pointed out, is where Gishler would get the water to create the ice wall.

'Domino's has agreed to supply the water from their building,' said Gishler.

The city's Official Community Plan (OCP) designates the lot in question as Downtown-Riverfront, suitable for residential, retail, tourist activities, parks and open spaces.

'The development of an ice climbing wall is supported by the OCP in that it will help create activity along the riverfront in the winter months and bring additional pedestrian and vehicle traffic to this area,' said Gau.

The proposed development also corresponds with the land use goals set out in the city's downtown plan and zoning rules.

'The ice climbing wall meets the maximum height regulation of the CS zone and adequate onsite parking will be supplied as per Zoning Bylaw 2006-01,' said Gau.

At the end of the season, Gishler said, it would take about a month for the structure to melt. City staff identified that excess water could be a problem.

'There is currently a a rock pit sump on the subject lot that could handle a large portion of the drainage,' said Gau. The sump is not serviced by the city, however, so it would need to be steam-thawed to be effective.

If the city grants the application, it would require that Gishler come up with a water drainage plan.