It was standing-room-only inside council chambers Monday evening as supporters of the proposed outdoor sports complex in Whistle Bend took another kick at persuading council to consider rezoning to permit the complex.

Coun. Samson Hartland had brought the motion back, seeking council support to reconsider the rezoning.

Council ultimately defeated the motion in a 4-3 vote (see separate story, p. 4). However, six delegates first voiced their support for the project, with only one voice heard against it.

Former councillors Mike Gladish and Dave Stockdale each returned to council chambers for the meeting – this time as delegates anxious to reiterate their views made last April.

A 3-3 vote that month defeated the rezoning at second reading (any tie vote by council is an automatic defeat) with Stockdale storming out of that meeting early over the issue.

Gladish had been among those who voted against while Stockdale had voted in favour of the rezoning for the project that the territory is proposing to build.

Last night, both former councillors reminded the current council of their reasons for voting as they did.

Gladish recalled the concerns over public consultation and little public support for the facility.

Gladish, who also worked in recent years as the general manager of the Whitehorse Cross-Country Ski Club based at the Mount McIntyre Recreation Centre, went on to recall the centre’s history.

He noted it was a gift that has since “burdened taxpayers.”

He noted it was built in the late 1970s as a cross-country ski facility thanks to outside funding sources.

Within five years, the city had been asked for financial support.

Eventually, the high costs led to the inclusion of a curling club – an amalgamation of the two clubs in the city at that time – to help make the facility more viable.

Facing bankruptcy eventually, the facility was turned over to the city, with the ski club and curling club managing their own parts of the facility.

“Mount Mc is not sustainable without (support),” Gladish said, noting the aging building is now in need of significant upgrades.

He went on to argue the proposed operational budget of $50,000 annually for the proposed complex “does not add up.”

He said there’s no certainty that the artificial turf for the fields can stand up to the cold temperatures of the North.

He then asked the new council to defeat the motion once again.

Stockdale later countered Gladish’s comments by noting that it’s too bad the ski club couldn’t look after the chalet.

He also argued the facility should not be compared to the Mount Sima ski and snowboard facility which has had its fair share of financial issues over the years.

He is convinced that the Yukon Outdoor Sports Complex Association can handle the operations at the proposed facility.

He also emphasized the many athletes who would make use of it.

“It is a sports complex; it’s not a soccer complex,” he said.

While the approximately 1,500 soccer players would be the prime users, Stockdale added, athletes generally would see major improvements from their current track and field facilities.

“Track and field facilities in this town are pathetic,” said Stockdale, who served on council for 32 years until his defeat in the Oct. 15 election.

The complex would be owned by the territory, he pointed out, with the city benefitting from property taxes that would be paid.

“What does the city have to fear?” Stockdale asked.

While the Canada Games Centre and the transit system both cost the city money, he pointed out, they are part of what makes Whitehorse a great city.

“Please don’t look this gift horse in the mouth,” he said.

Tony Gaw, who heads up the sports association, also addressed council.

He pointed out the cost of the project has gone down to $5.5 million, with the operating numbers confirmed by an Outside consultant.

The facility has little maintenance nor irrigation, heating and so on.

“We’re here to support active living,” Gaw said as he outlined the benefits of an outdoor sports complex and the interest in user groups ranging from rugby players to the Golden Age Society and others.

“It’s for everybody,” he said.

Coun. Jocelyn Curteanu asked him about public consultation.

Gaw said the group hosted two meetings about the project a couple of years ago, advertising via its web page and in local newspapers, as well as a couple of meetings a number of months ago on the project.

Also urging the city to reconsider the project were Cali Battersby, who works for the Yukon Soccer Association, Athletics Yukon head coach Don White, Whitehorse Recreational Coed Soccer Association treasurer Lenore Morris and Judo Yukon president Richard Zebruck.

The soccer and athletics representatives stressed the need for improved facilities.

White emphasized the groups are not seeking world-class facilities but simply those that meet a competition standard, noting that the arenas in the Canada Games Centre were built to standards – one meeting NHL standards and the other meeting Olympic standards.

Zebruck acknowledged his sport would not be a user.

However, he argued anything that helps grow sporting activities in the city helps the community as a whole.

As a non-profit with no ties to the complex, his group supports it fully, he said noting that if it’s run properly, it wouldn’t cost the city anything.

After the 4-3 vote defeating the reconsideration, Grant Zazula, the president of Whitehorse Minor Soccer, expressed disappointment in the mayor, arguing “he’s playing politics” because he isn’t fond of the Yukon Party government.

He said the mayor didn’t provide the degree of leadership the sports complex issue deserves.

Zazula also noted his disappointment with Gladish.

He questioned the appropriateness of Gladish speaking out on the matter, given the ex-councillor’s former position as manager of the ski club.

The vote by council, Zazula said, means there are going to be a lot of disappointed kids in the city now.

The Star sought a comment from Community Services Minister Currie Dixon on Monday night’s vote.

Cabinet spokesman Dan Macdonald said the minister has nothing new to add.

Macdonald did point out Dixon had taken to Twitter this morning on the matter.

There, the minister tweeted: “No path forward for this project in the immediate future. Designs will have to go on the shelf for now,” and later, “New fields/track would have been wonderful addition to our rec infrastructure.”