A political scientist says Nanaimo’s tension-fraught political climate may have contributed to a landslide “no” vote against a proposed event centre this weekend.

The city held a referendum Saturday on a proposal to borrow $80-million to build the new sports and events centre, but it was soundly defeated with 80 per cent of voters opposed.

“There’s no confusion in the vote we got on Saturday night, no doubt about it,” said Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay.

With only 20 per cent of voters in favour, University of Victoria political scientist Michael Prince says the results reflect a lack of confidence in council.

Its track record has been marred by infighting and bad blood between some councillors and McKay, culminating in the city filing a lawsuit against the mayor earlier this year over allegations he shared confidential information with a former employee.

“The track record of this council being one that’s been fraught with debate, division and crisis since the election of almost three years ago, I think it just suggests to local residents that this is not the council and the staff they’re prepared to take such a leap of faith on taking on such a large capital project,” said Prince.

McKay said he hopes that’s not the case.

“We’re not the only council having some of these challenges,” he said. “Many councils are. It’s democracy, and I wish we could focus more on the tasks at hand than the personalities.”

The event centre, which would have come with a new WHL team for the Harbour City, is now on the backburner as council’s focus shifts to other priorities.

McKay said the next task at hand may be completing Nanaimo’s waterfront walkway, connecting the seawall from the city’s cruise ship terminal to Departure Bay.

“It would mean a tourist draw and a recreational facility that virtually no one else has,” he said.

But after Saturday’s overwhelming rejection, Prince says council should probably take a cooling off period.

“I think this was just mired in the accusation politics we’ve seen in Nanaimo for the past couple years,” he said. “This is, in essence, collateral damage to that political climate.”

For now, voters will have to wait until the city’s next municipal election in fall 2018 to see if the gaping hole on Nanaimo’s waterfront becomes an election issue. 

With a report from CTV Vancouver Island's Jessica Lepp