At the same time as voting to give up on two sister city relationships, city council voted to spend $2,000 on sending local youth to another of its sister cities in Lancieux, France.

Doug Graham was the only member of council to vote against the move at Monday's city council meeting.

"I disagree philosophically," he said of putting property tax money toward exchange trips such as the one being organized by the Association franco-yukonnaise.

The trip is being organized as Lancieux celebrates Yukon poet Robert Service, who spent his final years in the city in France, on the 50th anniversary of his death.

Graham noted that while he appreciates the relationship with Lancieux is active and that the Association franco-Yukonnaise provided a detailed budget of where the $2,000 would go, he can't agree with funding exchange trips out of the city's tax revenues.

Others disagreed.

"Philosophically, you can disagree with it, but I think it's been proved the association's gone out of its way to really develop this relationship," Coun. Dave Stockdale said.

The city has given money in the past to similar events, he added, and there's an extensive amount of volunteer work that goes into organizing events like the trip.

"Two thousand dollars to help administrate a program is a minor amount of money," Stockdale argued.

There are educational and economic benefits that come from such exchanges, he said.

The funding is coming out of the city's sister city reserve, which will drop from $5,000 to $3,000 once the cash for the exchange is taken out.

Asked by Coun. Jeanine Myhre about the fund, Rob Fendrick, the city's director of administrative services, said he didn't have a lot of information on how the fund started because it predates the city's computer system.

Meanwhile, Mayor Bev Buckway suggested the city focus on its active sister city relationships.

Before voting to rescind the relationships with Echuca, Australia and Castries, St. Lucia, Buckway noted that while the city regularly corresponds with its sister cities Ushiku, Japan, and Lancieux, it never receives letters back from Echuca and Castries.

Buckway did note though that on a trip to Castries, a merchant in the local market showcased an award won that came from Whitehorse, as the sister city.

While the shopkeeper was pleased to meet the mayor and remembered the sister city relationship, Buckway also noted there's really no active relationship anymore.

A little closer, the city also shares a sister-city relationship with Juneau.