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City grapples with whether to rescind combat sports responsibility

Several councillors think scrapping commission and having territorial government oversee it is best, but GNWT not considering such a plan, says spokesperson
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Erika Bandejas of Vancouver, left, avoids an attempted roundhouse kick by Su Zao of Port Moody, B.C., during an amateur women's bout as part of the Muay Thai Boxing Championship at the Yk Community Arena. The city is mulling over whether to scrap its combative sports commission. NNSL file photo

The business of municipal government in Yellowknife got back on Jan. 14 with Governance and Priorities Committee's first meeting of the new year. During that meeting, they grappled with whether to revoke its combative sports by‐law.

City manager Stephen Van Dine described it as a proactive measure to help protect the city from any future legal trouble. 

"In every other jurisdiction, this is a provincial or territorial level responsibility," he said.

Nearly two decades ago, city council adopted a combative sports by‐law in response to a request for hosting a professional boxing match. Since then, there have been several other events, including further boxing cards, mixed martial arts events and even Muay Thai, but the last official event in Yellowknife was in 2016. 

At the moment, if Yellowknife did receive a request to host a combat sport match, it would be impossible to accommodate, according to the city, as it has no commission in place to review the request, as well as the workload of city staff being be too tremendous to ensure that all regulations are adhered to.

"The capacity to carryout these duties does not exist within current staffing," the city stated.

It also pointed to a case in Edmonton, another jurisdiction that has municipal combative sport commissions. The city pointed to a fatality during a 2022 charity event as another reason it wants to move this responsibility to the GNWT in order to shield itself from any potential legal trouble. 

Coun. Cat McGurk voiced her approval for the territory to take things over, though she cautioned she does not want to see a legal gap, while Coun. Ryan Fequet was a little more hesitant.

"It might make sense for Yellowknife to regulate this, because we are the capital city and likely no other communities within the NWT are interested in or have the capacity to do this," he said.

Coun. Tom McLennan said he said he's in favour of rescinding the by-law, calling it a paper tiger: something that appears imposing but actually does nothing.

"A legal gap already exists," he said, noting the lack of training within city staff, and the need to revamp to by-law, to organize a prize fight. 

Coun. Stacie Arden-Smith, who has been the chair of the commission while on council, chuckled when noting that in all her time, she has seen no combat sport events while on council, which she added is pretty disappointing. 

Like her peers, she, too, was in favour of moving this responsibility over to a higher level of government.

NNSL Media reached out to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) to see if it would consider taking over the reigns.

In a reply to questions on Jan. 15, spokesperson Peter Tah said the GNWT has no current plans to create any new legislation to oversee and regulate combative sports.

"The GNWT currently does not have any legislation providing authorization for prize fights and there is no territorial government agency responsible for the regulation and oversight of combative sports in the NWT," said Tah, adding that his department is aware of the city trying to rescind its by-law on combat sports.

Tah also mentioned that according to section 83 of the Criminal Code of Canada, it is an offence to undertake prize fights unless authorized under specific exceptions. Community governments have the ability to enact bylaws that allow them to create an athletic board, commission, or similar body under municipal corporation legislation, he added.

NNSL Media reached out to John Stanley, owner of Stanley Boxing, for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.



About the Author: Devon Tredinnick

Devon Tredinnick is a reporter for NNSL Media. Originally from Ottawa, he's also a recent journalism graduate from Carleton University.
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