Whitehorse council rejects Whistle Bend soccer complex, again

Whitehorse city councillors havedecided not to reopen debate over a proposed outdoor soccer complex in the Whistle Bend subdivision.

Council voted on Monday to stand bythe previous council's decision to reject a necessary zoning change in the Whistle Bend subdivision.

The Yukon government was proposing to pay forthe $5.5 million facility, which would include two artificial-surfacesoccer fields and a rubberized running track.

Mayor Dan Curtis and three councillorsvoted against revisiting the issue. Curtissaidsupporters of the facility havefailed to make a convincing case.

"We're not looking for four [councillors'] votes, we're looking for 28,644. We want to do what's best for the vast majority of the City of Whitehorse," Curtis said.

Grant Zazula, president of the Whitehorse Minor Soccer Association, said Curtis was being short-sighted and was motivated by a dislike of the territorial government.

"There's a lot of misinformation and I think our mayor hasn't done a very good job. I think he's let the people of Whitehorse down," Zazula said.

"There's going to be a lot of disappointed kids."

Zazulasaid hepredicts the complex will eventually be built, but according to Community Services Minister Currie Dixon, it may be far down the road.

Dixon tweeted Tuesday there was no path forward for the project in the immediate future, so the plans would be shelved, "for now."