The new public safety building will honour past fire chiefs who have kept Whitehorse safe over the years, but it's not likely to be through the name of the structure.

Rather, it's most likely to be through the hall of fame that will be included in the new building currently under construction at the top of Two Mile Hill.

"This isn't a pissing match about who we respected most,” Mayor Bev Buckway said Monday night before voting in favour of second reading to name the building the Whitehorse Public Safety Building.

Dave Stockdale was the only councillor to register any votes against the move, raising his hand in disagreement at second reading.

Acknowledging the choice is rather "bland”, Coun. Doug Graham said there was more than one candidate worthy of having the building named after them. He hopes the hall of fame will acknowledge all those worthy of being recognized for their efforts to

protect the city.

The decision was made after council members listened to three delegates argue the building should be named for former fire chiefs Fred Blaker or Brian Monahan, both deceased.

While Rhonda and Leon Meyn suggested it be named for Rhonda's father, Monahan, former city councillor Doug Gallup made his case to have it named after Blaker.

Speaking to council, Rhonda recalled a recent phone call from her brother, who asked if she'd be OK if the city didn't select Monahan's name for the structure.

Indeed, she told council, she would be OK, but she's not OK with how the nomination has been dealt with.

She cited the city advertisement calling for nominations, which listed Blaker's name as an example. It appeared, she said, as if the name had already been selected.

She also took issue with comments by Stockdale a week earlier that selecting Blaker's name was a "no brainer”.

She pointed to the groundswell of support for her dad, with 22 people submitting his name, the most submissions of the nine suggestions that came in.

As well, more than 200 members have joined a Facebook group supporting the name of the Brian Monahan Public Safety Building.

"I know there's overwhelming support for my dad,” Meyn said.

Both she and Leon cited a number of submissions made noting Monahan's dedicated service to the city's safety and his work to keep training and equipment up to date. A facility like the public safety building was a vision that began with him, Rhonda said.

"Everyone in the Yukon was affected and touched by the work that he did,” Leon said.

Monahan served as chief from 1989 to 1999. He'd spent the previous 16 years as a full-time firefighter with two years prior to that as a volunteer with the department.

Blaker became the city's first employee and fire chief when Whitehorse was incorporated in 1950.

It would have been a tremendous task for a young man of 27 to head up the city's first fire department, Gallup said, also praising Stockdale throughout his speech for taking a stand on the name.

Like the Meyns, Gallup cited the support he's heard for his top choice in his presentation to council.

Since Gallup publicly voiced his support for the Fred Blaker Public Safety Building in a Star article this month, he's had 11 phone calls, with 10 of those being in support.

"Only one was negative,” he pointed out, adding that others he's encountered in his "travels” have also shown their support.

Blaker wouldn't have had the equipment the city has today, but he battled some of the worst fires the city has seen, in extremely cold temperatures, Gallup said.

"Public safety was his number one concern in so many ways,” he went on, arguing the new building should be named after a historical figure.

When he shows off the Yukon to tourists, taking them to places like the MacBride Museum and other sites named for Yukoners, Gallup added, the first question the tourists ask is how the building got the name.

"They never forget that,” he said.

Naming it the Fred Blaker Public Safety Building would add more history to our present, he said.

He then pointed to the Yukon tourism slogan Larger Than Life.

"So was Fred Blaker,” Gallup said.

Stockdale focused his objections to the one per cent building budget that is required to be spent for public art going to the hall of fame. He argued that would contravene the policy for artwork at the building.

The vote, however, was on the name, with Graham bringing the discussion back to that by noting his concern about choosing one name over the other.

He then voiced his support for administration's recommendation of the Whitehorse Public Safety Building. Graham also said noted his agreement with Rhonda that Blaker's name shouldn't have appeared in the ad for submissions.

After first reading of the bylaw, Buckway also reiterated her support for the proposed name.

"This is a difficult discussion to have,” she said, adding it's not a decision made lightly.

Stockdale kept his comments about the naming brief, noting it had been a good exercise with interesting information that had come forward.

Coun. Betty Irwin, meanwhile, continued to stick by her arguments of a week earlier, stating that the building shouldn't be named after a fire chief. The structure, she said, is not just a fire hall, but a public safety building that will house more than the fire hall.

With that, council voted 5-1 in favour of second reading to name it the Whitehorse Public Safety Building.

In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Rhonda said she understood the concern for council given the choices members were faced with.

"I'm OK with it, actually,” she said. "I don't want to see anybody offended or hurt.”

She too knew Blaker, and, as it's noted on the Facebook group page, had she not submitted her dad's name, she would have supported Blaker's.

But rather than have anyone offended by choosing one fire chief over another, a more general name makes sense, she suggested.

Gallup, however, was disappointed in the decision, arguing it seems to boil down to administration "calling the shots.”

He also expressed disappointment that after putting so much work into supporting Stockdale's arguments for Blaker's name, Stockdale didn't seem to even acknowledge that.

"I just can't believe it,” Gallup said, noting he "sure as hell” wishes Blaker's widow will be asked to cut the ribbon when the building opens.

Third reading of the bylaw to name the new building will come forward at council's Feb. 8 meeting.