Over 100 people were signed up to speak. First few speakers are already no shows.
Mayor Mandel thinks it will take longer to organize the speakers than to hear what they have to say.
Mandel asks crowd not to cheer or call out when people are speaking.
Former mayor Cecil Purves was the third speaker of the day, he was very critical of the proposal and the debt it would cause.
Speaker number four says the arena debate has cost her her faith in democracy.
So far all of the speakers have been vehemently opposed to the arena.
Ken Barry from the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce speaking on behalf of the arena. Says the arena is a "pivotal deal for the city of Edmonton, and a great deal for Edmontonians."
Barry says that in any other city, Katz would have been celebrated with a "ticker tape parade".
Speaker number eight says council needs to focus on social problems before supporting private business. She says the NHL encourages violence, which will worsen social problems in the downtown core.
General tone of the meeting at this point is against the arena. Those speaking in favour would prefer that public money not be spent on the project.
Entrepreneur John Trapp says the arena will bring business to the city, and as such the city must say yes to the downtown arena.
Trapp says the arena is more than a hockey issue, but an investment in culture.
Business owner John Chomiak says past investments by city council in large projects have paid off, and that civic projects such as the downtown arena will grow the economy.