Edmonton city councilors met behind closed doors to discuss future plans of the Honda Edmonton Indy, which is reportedly set to lose more than $2 million this weekend.
Roughly 15 people from Envision Edmonton, a group urging the city to keep the municipal airport, were seen wearing blue shirts during a council meeting yesterday morning.
The group was ordered by security to remove the shirts or wear them inside-out because a city policy bans placard and signs during council meetings.
“We are extremely disappointed the meeting is being held privately,” said Maryanne Stanway, a volunteer with Envision Edmonton.
“It would be really nice to see the Indy go forward, because the city has had plenty of success with that.”
Councillors were hearing details of a three-year plan from Octane, a Montreal-based race promoter, about running the event. The company refused to comment publicly about the plan.
The Indy’s current promoter, Northlands, is ending its association with the race this Sunday.
The city has spent $9.2 million in paying for the race’s operating losses, but councilors say there’s an $18-million economic spinoff for the city.
