CPL, BCHL ask province and feds for aid

Two leagues with Island teams are among the first three sports entities in the country to actively seek federal and provincial aid to see them through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professional soccer’s Canadian Premier League includes Pacific FC, which plays out of Westhills Stadium in Langford. The CPL has asked the federal government for “short-term financing” of $15 million as it explores ways to begin its postponed 2020 season.

The junior B.C. Hockey League features the Victoria Grizzlies, Cowichan Valley Capitals, Nanaimo Clippers and Alberni Valley Bulldogs.

The BCHL playoffs were cancelled mid-stride and the league says its 17 teams have collectively lost $3 million in revenues and that it has contacted Lisa Beare, the B.C.

Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

The Canadian Football League, which includes the B.C. Lions, is another league seeking financial assistance and has asked the federal government for up to $150 million to get through the pandemic.

B.C. Premier John Horgan addressed the issue of sports and the pandemic this week.

“There are positive consequences of having [sports] activity and negative consequences of it stopping,” Horgan said. “We’ll take a close look at everything that comes forward.”

Horgan said he sees the value of sport in society.

“I’m a big sports fan and I love going to the games and watching on TV, too,” he said.

“It’s a tremendous economic stimulus as well. The impact on the beveridge industry of the Canucks being in the playoffs is significant.

It’s not just the gate receipts and who buys a hot dog and beer. It’s all the other economic spin-offs, as well.”

Horgan acknowledged financial aid to sports leagues might be contentious among some taxpayers.

“People get jaded if they are not sports fans and look at salaries that many athletes get paid,” said the Premier.

But Horgan, a big fan of the Victoria Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association, noted not all athletes get make huge bucks.

“I know lacrosse players don’t get paid that much but hockey players do,” he said.

“CFL players are somewhere in-between.”

So are CPL soccer players, who reportedly average about $50,000 per season, but have taken a 25 per cent rollback this year because of the pandemic. PFC was to open with three home games in April at Westhills Stadium, all of them postponed.

Horgan said athletes are labourers and this is no different than any other labour issue.

“They [athletes] are workers and they are affected by this pandemic adversely and we need to talk about that,” he said.

“I’ve not seen any formal proposals come across my desk but there are discussions underway. Lisa Beare is available to hear from people and we will look at that in the balance of other issues on our plate.

“There are other priorities that are higher. But there is a negative economic consequence of not seeing our pro sports underway this summer.”

Not only at the pro level, but also in junior sports.

“It’s a huge impact. We are hurting because our sponsors are hurting,” said Lance Black, president of the Victoria Grizzlies.

“This is the time of year we would be out selling advertising.

We need the money but no one is buying advertising. Our sponsors are not making money so it would be unreasonable for us to even ask at this point.

“We’re waiting it out like everybody else. It’s unknown.”

The Big Four North American pro leagues, and even the CFL and CPL, have the possibility of TV revenues if they play during the pandemic even with no fans allowed in the stands. But not gatedriven leagues such as the BCHL, WLA or WHL, which makes the situation even more dire for teams such as the Grizzlies, Capitals, Clippers, Shamrocks and Victoria Royals.

“We need bums in the seats,” Black said.

At the federal level, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced $500 million of relief through Heritage Canada will be targeted specifically for the sports, arts and culture sectors.