Ryan West wants the 98 Hotel designated as a municipal historic site – and so do 5,000 others.

At its meeting Monday, West presented city council with a petition containing the signatures of 4,962 people who support the designation as a historic site.

“The 98 Hotel is a staple of the Yukon and Whitehorse’s cultural identity,” West told council

“It is one of the two last remaining authentic hotel saloons in the territory, the other being the Westminster Hotel in Dawson City. Both places are considered a ‘home away from home’ to many Yukon residents.”

There are currently no plans to demolish the 98 to make room for a modern development.

West told council the 98 first opened its doors in 1943 as the 98 Ballroom. It was converted after the Second World War to the 98 Hotel (in 1951), and a cocktail lounge opened on the premises.

Unfortunately, he said, the hotel is not listed as an attraction in the Yukon and Whitehorse tourist guides.

“Yet, a visitor to Whitehorse who does not visit the 98 Hotel misses experiencing a venue unchanged in the past 60 years,” West noted.

He said the 98 was fully renovated in 2019, but it was done so with care and patience and with the utmost respect for the territory’s culture and history.

The hotel has been hosting a weekly fiddle night since 1982, welcoming Yukon residents and tourists alike to take to the dance floor, he said.

West told council it was the home of the Yukon’s iconic fiddler, the late Joe Loutchan, otherwise known as the “fiddler on the loose.”

For the last six years, the Yukon has led Canada in per-capita population growth, he said.

With such expansion, West added, comes pressure from developers from Outside who are looking to turn a profit by replacing such important buildings and businesses as the 98 with modern investment opportunities.

“Designating the 98 Hotel as a municipal heritage site would protect and preserve one of the last remaining businesses and buildings that makes our territory truly unique and allow our residents and tourists to continue to enjoy a piece of Yukon culture and history for years to come,” he said.

West, a resident of Old Crow, said in an interview he decided to start the petition last month after he and friends were talking about how the city has changed with recent developments.

They spoke about how the 98 could be susceptible to developers looking to convert an older property into a modern real estate investment, he said.

West said they touched upon the notion of a petition to ensure the 98 property did not fall prey to developers with visions of a modern, multi-storey building in its place.

“So I said I would stick my neck out,” he said.

He started the petition on a Sunday night, and before he knew it, there were 2,758 signatures, or 6.4 per cent of the territory’s population.

Support came not just from locals but from people all over the world who know the 98, he said.

“I am not overly surprised people are supporting it, but the amount is pretty surprising,” he said.

“It’s recognized by Yukon Heritage as a historical building; it’s just not protected as a heritage site.”

The city’s heritage bylaw allows for historical designations of buildings on their architectural history or their cultural history.

Once designated as a historical site, nothing of the building can be altered, says the bylaw.

Literally scores of supporting comments have been posted to the website West is using to collect signatures.

“The 98 walls have stories to tell,” wrote one signatory.

“A lot of the colorful 5% made many memories in this place as did the sooo many patrons that walked through the doors daily.”

Another wrote: “It is so important to keep our heritage buildings; they inform us and enlighten us about the past. To lose a heritage building is to lose a little more of ourselves.”

“Pour preserver la fantastique histoire du Yukon,” wrote a signatory.

The comments go on and on. “An important piece of history must be preserved, so future generations can also learn and enjoy this piece of history.”

“The 98 has style and character. Leave it alone.”

West told council he did not start the petition on behalf of the longtime owners of the 98 Hotel, Mel and Eva Stehelin. But they are aware he is doing it, he said.

Among the attributes of the 98, he added, is how it serves as a cornerstone, a meeting place during the annual winter Rendezvous festival.