No tax dollars to keep Sens in Ottawa, mayor says
The City of Ottawa has no financial responsibility to keep an NHL team in the municipality, even if the owner of the Ottawa Senators has mused about relocating the club, Mayor Jim Watson says.
“We should not be using property-tax dollars to subsidize an NHL team. That’s not the role of a municipal government, in my opinion,” Watson said Thursday in his first interview with this newspaper since his recovery from appendicitis.
Watson looked forward to being at the NHL 100 Classic at Lansdowne Park last month but had to watch the game from his bed in the Queensway Carleton Hospital while eating banana pudding. It was a signature event that he pushed the NHL to hold in the league’s centennial and Canada’s 150th anniversary year.
The night before the game, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk told reporters he would consider moving the franchise if the club’s financial situation worsened.
“I needed more painkillers right after that,” Watson quipped.
“It really put a cloud over the game, to a certain degree, to have the owner muse about that.”
Watson also couldn’t believe Melnyk suggested the team didn’t need to play out of a downtown arena.
“It was not helpful when Eugene blurted out that maybe (the Senators) don’t have to move downtown because that’s exactly at odds with what he and (NHL commissioner) Gary Bettman have been telling me going back four years, that the arena has to be in the downtown core,” Watson said.
“I fully support that. I think it would be great for the west end of the downtown. It would help us in ridership in terms of getting people on the LRT. It would help with the Quebec market and the Orléans market to be more central.
“I’m hoping he misspoke and is not casting doubt on all of the work we’re putting into getting the arena and the whole site revitalized in the downtown.”
The Senators, under the consortium RendezVous LeBreton Group, and the National Capital Commission are negotiating to redevelop LeBreton Flats with an NHL-calibre arena anchoring a mixed-use community.
According to Watson, under his administration this city won’t do what other cities have done and give a professional hockey team money to keep the club around. Edmonton helped pay for a new arena where the Oilers play and Calgary has offered the Flames money for a new arena.
Watson isn’t sold on those kinds of multimillion-dollar gifts.
“It’s very clear that there is precious little support for direct subsidies to professional sports teams,” he said.
Instead, the city would take care of any parks, pathways and the LRT line in the developed site at LeBreton Flats.
“What we want to do is work with them to ensure that if they are able to reach an agreement with the NCC on one of the more beautiful pieces of property in the entire city, then let’s get on with that,” Watson said.
Watson hasn’t spoken with Melnyk recently but said he has already told the owner the city won’t subsidize an arena.
The city is waiting to jump into the LeBreton Flats negotiations.
Watson has council’s blessing to engage the NCC and RendezVous in talks on the development. The city hasn’t met with the groups yet; Watson said he’s waiting until after the NCC provides an update on the negotiations later this month.
The 2018 municipal election campaign officially begins in May, when nominations open. Watson will seek a third consecutive term as mayor in the October vote.
While handling the LeBreton Flats file and making sure the Confederation Line LRT opens at an unknown date this year, Watson is monitoring who might challenge him in the election, although he said he doesn’t spend time worrying about it.
Paul Dewar, a former MP, and Sen. Vern White are kicking the tires.
“I’ve heard of upward of 10 different people that want to run for mayor,” Watson said.
“Listen, it’s a great job and sought-after and I’m honoured to have served here for the last several years. I wish them well in their deliberations because it is a really big decision for your family, for you personally. You have to raise $600,000 or $700,000. It’s the equivalent of nine ridings.
“It’s a big, big undertaking. Those are two individuals that will think long and hard about whether this is the right time for them. I’m happy to run on my record.”