It's a 10-way race for the vacant seat on Whitehorse city council.

Three more entries were received at city hall this morning prior to the 12 p.m. deadline to file nomination papers for the Feb. 10 byelection.

Samson Hartland, a former city councillor who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2003, was among the three.

Also filing this morning was Ray Jackson, a Southern Tutchone elder who runs a computer business and is a veteran of aboriginal politics in the territory.

Peter Ball, a Northwestel Inc. marketing manager who finished a close 71 votes from earning a seat in the 2003 election, filed papers today as well.

Normally a three-year term, the council seat was vacated last month by Yvonne Harris, who is moving to Pangnirtung, Nunavut, to be with her husband, Paul Harris, a statistician formerly with the Yukon government.

At the close of nominations this morning, assistant city clerk Christine O'Connor, who is also the returning officer, drew names from a box to establish the order in which the 10 candidates will appear on the ballot.

The order is: Woody Boychuk; Lianne Couch; Linda (Biensch) Casson Hare; Karen Giordano; Samson Hartland; Patty O'Brien; Ray Jackson; Pat Fewer; Peter Ball; Jan Stick.

There has been no need for a City of Whitehorse byelection since current Yukon Senator Ione Christensen resigned as mayor in December 1978, mid-way through her second two-year term at the helm.

Christensen, who in 1975 became the first woman to be elected mayor of Whitehorse, resigned to become the first woman appointed as commissioner of the Yukon. Her resignation was accepted by council 'with regret.'

The following month, alderman Orville Chippett resigned his seat. In the February 1979 byelection, the late Don Branigan was elected to his first term as mayor, the first of five he would serve before he died in 1999. Jon Pierce filled the position of alderman in the byelection.

In the 2003 election, the results for the five-way mayoral race were: Incumbent Ernie Bourassa, 1,806 votes; Sue Edelman, 1,257; Dee Balsam, 952; Bernie Phillips, 604 and Hartland, 325.

In the 2003 election for the six councillor seats, the results were: Bev

Buckway, 2,945 votes; incumbent Doug Graham, 2,668; incumbent Dave Stockdale, 2,575; Mel Stehelin, 1,930; Yvonne Harris, 1,925; incumbent Dave Austin, 1,826 incumbent (Biensch) Casson Hare, 1,761; Ball, 1,755; Norman Easton, 1,232; Paul Christensen, 1,230; O'Brien, 1,050; Fred Jennex, 989; Linda Lemphers-Fenton; 607; Cam Anderson, 496; Gary Smith, 474 and Brett Chandler, 431.

Councillors earn $13,363 annually as their base pay. They also receive daily honourariums while representing the city at different functions and conferences.