If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

After Monday night's city council meeting, Coun. Doug Graham said he will likely join the rest of council in moving ahead with the bid for the 2012 Arctic Winter Games.

"I just think I'll get behind it and do everything I can to make sure it's the best and that it stays within the budget," he said after the meeting.

Parks and recreation manager Linda Rapp presented council with the 102-page bid package last night, proposing a $6.1-million budget for the northern multi-sport event.

The package included the 19 letters of support provided by industry associations, Yukon government officials and sporting groups, including one signed by Coun. Dave Stockdale in his role as president of Table Tennis Yukon.

In the past, Graham has spoken out against the cost of the Games, arguing the city can't afford to play host to the week-long event and the territory should act as host.

When it was learned that it must be a municipality that bids on the Games, Graham voted to move ahead in getting a bid prepared. However, he continued to speak out on the impact the cost would have on the city.

When the package came forward last night though, Graham and the rest of council made no comments after Rapp's report.

It's obvious from the rest of council the bid will move forward, Graham said.

"They're going to go ahead regardless, and I think at this point my best alternative is to get behind them," he said.

The package proposes the city would provide $200,000 in cash along with a value of $200,000 of in-kind services for the Games.

It's proposed the federal government would put up $800,000 and the territory would fund $1.4 million.

Merchandising, ticket sales as well as in-kind and cash donations would make up the remaining $3.5 million.

While Graham stressed the importance of keeping the Games within budget, he also expects the budget will change, with the event still three years away.

He noted though he's pleased to see the involvement of people like Northwestel Inc. president Paul Flaherty, who was also the vice-president of sponsorships for the 2007 Canada Winter Games. Flaherty is on the bid committee for the 2012 AWG.

"After seeing the job he did raising money for the Canada Games, if he's given that task in Arctic Winter Games, he'll do a fantastic job," Graham said.

However, the bid committee is a separate entity from the host society, which oversees the organization of the Games. The bid would have to be accepted by the Arctic Winter Games organization before the host society would be selected and begin work.

And while Flaherty was praised for his work raising funds for the Canada Games, Graham acknowledged the economy during that effort was in a much more positive state than it is now.

"That's going to be a real challenge," he said of raising funds in the current economic downturn. "And the other part, of course, is if the feds tighten up the purse strings to YTG, that could have an impact in the way things are done too.

"And, you know, (it's) a pretty good group there on the bid committee and if they all hang in there and move over with the Games committee itself, that will help."

Among the 15 members of the bid committee are city and territorial government officials, and those in the sports community and business sector, many of whom worked on the 2007 Canada Winter Games.

The 2012 AWG would mark the sixth time the event has come to Whitehorse. It would also make use of a number of facilities that were built or upgraded and used for the Canada Games, including:

• The Canada Games Centre, built for the national sports event, which would host hockey on the NHL-sized ice surface, soccer in the field house, volleyball in the flexihall, as well as speedskating and figure skating on the Olympic-sized ice surface;

• Mount Sima, which saw a new chalet built and T-bar installed for the Canada Games, would be used for alpine skiing, freestyle skiing and snowboarding;

• Grey Mountain, given a new parking lot for the Canada Games, would be used for biathlon and snowshoe biathlon;

• The Mount McIntyre Recreation Centre, which saw temporary seating capacity expanded for the Canada Games by using six of the eight curling sheets, would be used as the site for curling and cross-country skiing events; and

• The Takhini Arena, which would see hockey competition and is at the top of the list for opening and closing ceremony sites.Schools in Whitehorse, many of which served as sites for the Canada Games, would once again play host to a variety of sports with:

• Basketball being hosted at Porter Creek Secondary School;

• Arctic sports happening at F.H. Collins Secondary School;

• Badminton being played at Christ the King Elementary School;

• Wrestling at Yukon College, which would also serve as the athletes' village, with classrooms there serving as dorms not exceeding 24 people per room;

• Dene games at Selkirk Elementary School; and

• Table tennis at Vanier Catholic Secondary School, along with gymnastics in the Polarettes Gymnastics Club which is attached to the high school.

Finally, the city's Riverfront Trail and Millennium Trail would serve as a site for snowshoeing while Fish Lake Road would see the dog mushing competition.

Cultural events would be hosted at the Yukon Arts Centre.

Rapp stressed the importance of moving forward with the bid, given that the hiring of key staff usually happens about three years from when the Games are set to happen.

Council will vote on the bid approval next week.

Coun. Jan Stick was absent from last night's meeting.