TAXPAYERS PAY SO THEIR TEAMS CAN PLAY
A look at Canadian professional sports venues built or renovated with public dollars since 2000, by Jason van Rassel.
BC PLACE, VANCOUVER:
The provincial government loaned $ 514 million to PavCo, a provincial Crown corporation that owns and operates BC Place, to renovate the stadium. The highlight of the refurbishment was a retractable roof that replaced the original air- supported dome. The stadium, which opened in 1983, is home to the CFL’s B. C. Lions and the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer.
ROGERS PLACE, EDMONTON:
The city- owned arena, set to become the home of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers in 2016, is the centre of a larger downtown revitalization effort in the provincial capital. The $ 480- million project includes a $ 200 million contribution from the City of Edmonton, to be funded by additional property taxes and parking revenues brought by the project. Oilers ownership contributed $ 130 million, and $ 125 million will be raised via a surcharge on event tickets.
NEW MOSAIC STADIUM, REGINA:
The $ 278- million stadium that will become home to the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2017 will be paid for with $ 80 million from the provincial government, $ 73 million from the City of Regina and $ 25 million from the football club. The remaining $ 100 million will be raised through a ticket surcharge.
MTS CENTRE, WINNIPEG:
Taxpayers at all three levels of government paid a total of $ 40.5 million toward construction of the $ 133.5 million MTS Centre, which opened in 2004 and helped lure the NHL back to the city in 2011. The Jets’ owners, True North Sports and Entertainment, paid $ 93 million and the corporation owns the arena.
INVESTORS GROUP FIELD, WINNIPEG:
A total of $ 208.5 million in public money has gone into the new home of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers — approximately $ 171.5 million in loans and financing and the rest in grants. The price tag for the stadium, which opened in 2013, promises to climb higher with the discovery of cracked concrete and a leaky roof. The stadium is owned by a consortium that includes the city, the province, the Blue Bombers and the University of Manitoba.
BMO FIELD, TORONTO:
BMO Field opened in 2007 as the home of Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC. The municipallyowned stadium was built for $ 62.9 million: $ 27 million from the federal government, $ 8 million from the province of Ontario and $ 9.8 million from the city. TFC’s owners, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, contributed $ 18 million. The facility is undergoing a $ 120- million expansion with a $ 10- million loan from the city. MLSE, which recently bought the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and is moving the team into BMO Field next year, is contributing $ 90 million.
TIM HORTONS FIELD, HAMILTON, ONT. :
The $ 145.7- million home of the Hamilton Tiger- Cats was built entirely with public money to serve as one of the main venues for this summer’s Pan Am Games centred in Toronto. The stadium opened in 2014 with $ 69.1 million from the federal government, $ 22.3 million from the province and $ 54.3 million from the city, which now owns the facility.
TD PLACE, OTTAWA:
The City of Ottawa spent $ 130 million to renovate the former Frank Clair Stadium, which had fallen into disrepair during the CFL’s lengthy absence from the city. The job involved demolishing and rebuilding the southside grandstand and renovating the north side seats. The CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks began play in 2014 and shares the stadium with the Ottawa Fury of the North American Soccer League.
VIDEOTRON CENTRE, QUEBEC:
The city and provincial governments are roughly splitting the cost of building the $ 400- million arena, which is due to be finished this fall. Media company Quebecor, which is bidding to bring an NHL expansion team to the city, bought the naming rights to the arena and paid $ 33 million for management rights — an amount that will double if the company is successful in landing an NHL franchise.