Mayor Laura Cabott is taking cabinet minister Richard Mostyn to task for remarks he made March 8 in the legislature regarding the government’s cancellation of the 2027 Canada Winter Games bid.

In a letter dated March 13 and obtained by the Star, Cabott wrote:

“I am writing with regard to comments made in the Yukon Legislative Assembly during Question Period on March 8, 2023. Of great concern is your characterization as to who cancelled the bid for Whitehorse to host the 2027 Canada Winter Games.

“According to Hansard, you stated: ‘In the fall of 2022, together with our partners at the City of Whitehorse, our government made the decision to not proceed with the bid to host the 2027 Canada Winter Games ...’

“From there you later stated: ‘... the Yukon government, with the City of Whitehorse, made the very difficult decision not to host the games in 2027.’ With respect, these statements are inaccurate.

“As a reminder, the initial decision to cancel the 2027 Canada Games Bid was communicated publicly by you on November 14, 2022 by way of your Ministerial Statement.

“In that Statement you articulated that ‘The Government of Yukon has determined it can no longer proceed ...’ and later that ‘We did not make this decision lightly ....’

“That decision by Yukon Government came as a surprise to the City of Whitehorse, as it was made without consultation and with almost no advance notice.”

Cabott’s letter goes on to state that in the weeks following the statement by Community Services Minister Mostyn, there was an attempt to salvage the bid.

“The Canada Games Council sought to accommodate by extending a deadline of December 5th, 2022 for the co-hosts to confirm acceptance of Hosting Conditions and a Territorial Resolution to proceed from Yukon Government,” the mayor wrote.

“However, Yukon Government did not submit such a Territorial Resolution by that deadline and the Canada Games Council was forced to seek another host from a different province.”

The letter then states that, “In September of 2022, Whitehorse City Council passed a Resolution to submit the Bid to Co-Host the 2027 Canada Winter Games and to identify an initial budget amount of $11M.

“Over the months of November and December, Whitehorse City Council never made a decision to cancel the Bid or withdraw from co- hosting. All communication from the City of Whitehorse to Yukon Government expressed a willingness to discuss reasonable options and alternatives that could see us host the 2027 Games.

“To state or even imply that Yukon Government and the City of Whitehorse made a joint decision to cancel the bid to host the 2027 Canada Winter Game is not reflective of the facts.”

Lastly, Cabott made a request that Mostyn right what she sees as his wrong.

“On behalf of City Council, I ask that you correct your statements of March 8th, 2023 for the benefit of your colleagues in the Legislative Assembly, City of Whitehorse residents, and anyone else who may have been listening.”

The Star contacted Mostyn on Thursday to glean his thoughts on Cabott’s letter.

“The mayor and I correspond and talk on matters all the time,” Mostyn said. “I’m very glad we have such a close relationship. We talk about everything together.

“We try to meet every week. Sometimes it’s every two weeks to talk about municipal and territorial issues … our communication is robust and I have a very good relationship with the mayor.”

As for Cabott’s letter, he said, “On this issue, the mayor and I have a disagreement. We don’t see eye to eye on the process.

“Like I said in the House (on March 8), in the fall of 2022, actually probably around December, together with our partners at the City of Whitehorse, our government made the decision not to proceed with the bid to host the 2027 Canada Games.”

Mostyn then revisited why the bid was cancelled.

“We did not have the money to proceed with the Games bid.”

He then said, “We certainly did talk about this matter.”

As an example, Mostyn recalled that during a November 2022 cabinet meeting, ministers decided to cancel the bid, since the feds were only willing to cough up $16 million toward the Games, leaving a shortfall of $150 million.

“At the end of the cabinet meeting, the very first phone call I made was to the mayor of Whitehorse to tell her that cabinet was not going to proceed with $150 million on its own to fund the Games,” Mostyn told the Star.

“So that was our decision, and we informed our partners of that decision.”

Mostyn also revisited how the Games council removed all the conditions of hosting the event except for providing housing for the athletes.

“So we went to the City of Whitehorse and said, ‘we’re prepared to build the housing at the college if you want to proceed with the games.’

“The City of Whitehorse told us their bottom line was based on Takhini Arena. ‘Without any upgrades to Takhini Arena, we’re not going to proceed with the Games.’”

The upgrades to the arena would have cost between $40 million and $60 million, he pointed out.

Mostyn said he sent a letter to Kelly-Ann Paul of the Games council officially cancelling the bid process on Dec. 9.

Asked why the city was surprised by his decision to call off the bid, Mostyn said, “I don’t think the city was surprised by the decision. She said she was surprised by my statement in the House.”

He was reminded Cabott’s letter says: “That decision by Yukon Government came as a surprise to the City of Whitehorse, as it was made without consultation and with almost no advance notice.”

Mostyn responded, “The Nov. 14 decision was the one that she’s talking about … she may have been surprised by that decision, and it’s a difficult decision to make, but it was the right decision to make.

“I had a cordial conversation with the mayor on March 13 when she sent me the letter. I went over the points again,” he added.

Asked what he sees as the point of contention in the letter, Mostyn said, “I don’t see any contention in this letter …. I don’t know why I received the letter. It came as a surprise to me.

“But that’s fine. She had her opinion. She doesn’t think the City of Whitehorse ever pulled out of the Games. That’s fine.

“I never said that. I said our government made a decision not to proceed with the Games,” the minister said.

“I suppose that if the City of Whitehorse wanted to continue with the Games, they could have done so. They didn’t.”

Mostyn was asked if he plans to correct his remarks, as Cabott has requested, and withdrawing them from Hansard.

He replied, “No, as I said to the mayor on the 13th when we spoke after I received the letter, I stand by my remarks. Our government made the decision not to proceed with a bid to host the 2027 Canada Games. I made that decision after speaking to the City of Whitehorse, our partners, and that’s what happened. There’s nothing to correct; the statement’s accurate.”

He added, “As far as the mayor of Whitehorse is concerned, we’re talking semantics. She has a problem with my statement. I stand by my statement.”

He was asked how the disagreement impacts his relationship with Cabott.

“It doesn’t say anything about the – as I said, the discussions that the mayor and I have work. She had an issue with it. She communicated that with me. I immediately called her. We had a conversation about it.

“We have a very good relationship, the mayor of Whitehorse and I. I think very highly of her.

“I mean, when she has an issue with me, she lets me know. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”