Schooners may open in Moncton

ATLANTIC SCHOONERS COULD BEGIN THEIR CFL TENURE PLAYING IN NEW BRUNSWICK

If all goes to plan, the CFL’s Atlantic Schooners will begin play in 2020 in Moncton, N.B., while a new stadium is being built in Halifax.

Schooners Sports and Entertainment (formerly Maritime Football Limited) is the group looking to secure a CFL franchise for Halifax, but the biggest hurdle it faces is the construction of a suitable stadium. Anthony LeBlanc, one of three founding partners of the group, said Tuesday talks continue with the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) regarding a 24,000-seat stadium proposed for Shannon Park.

LeBlanc said in a perfect world the Schooners would begin play in 2020. They’d stage their home games at Moncton Stadium until a new facility was completed in Halifax.

Moncton Stadium has 10,000 permanent seats but could be expanded to 20,725 via temporary seating.

“Look, if all goes well and we have something in place by June, we want to seriously look at starting to play not obviously in the 2019 season but the 2020 season in Moncton,” LeBlanc said. “We’ve indicated to the city that our desire would be to play our first, and if need be our first couple of seasons, in Moncton while we have the stadium being built.”

Moncton Stadium also is a leading candidate to stage the 2019 Touchdown Atlantic game Aug. 25 between the Toronto Argonauts and Montreal Alouettes. Other communities interested in the contest are Saint John, N.B. and Antigonish, N.S.

LeBlanc said the game won’t be played in Halifax because there’s no suitable venue there.

“I’d hope we’ll have that finalized in the next week, two weeks tops,” LeBlanc said. “The great news is these communities really want it.

“I’d say financially Moncton probably has the easier lift ... but this is a pretty big deal for these communities. These are wonderful cities, you couldn’t ask for a better place to be in Canada in late August. They want to show themselves off.”