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QUEBEC CITY, MONTREAL — The federal government has rejected a proposal that could have paved the way for a Canadian Football League franchise in Quebec City saying Ottawa was not in the business of subsidizing professional sports.
Federal Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon refused to accept a proposal by a group of local investors calling for changes to Laval University's new sports complex that would have allowed for the expansion of the university's football field in order to meet CFL requirements. Mr. Cannon stated that the necessary changes were not possible and that the Laval University project would have to proceed as planned.
“The project that was submitted, which due diligence was done by our officials, does not include a football stadium for the CFL. We are not in that business. I've said No to Winnipeg. I'm not going to go and fund football stadiums for the CFL,” Mr. Cannon said.
In a pre-election announcement in Quebec City Wednesday, the Conservative government announced a seven-year, $4-billion infrastructure program for the province as part of the $33-billion fund announced earlier by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Part of the announcement included the federal government's $37.5-million contribution to Laval University's $85-million sports complex. The province will invest an equal amount and the city $10-million to the sports complex.
A group of local investors urged the governments as well as Laval University to modify the sports complex project to allow for a multimillion-dollar expansion of the university's football stadium.
According to prominent Quebec City lawyer Marc Bellemare, local investors have already set aside half of the $40-million needed to expand the stadium with the other half expected to come from other potential investors. The proposal would have allowed the construction of an additional 15,000 seats to the stadium's current capacity of approximately 10,000 seats.
However the head of Laval University Denis Brière refused to modify the project to allow for the stadium's expansion to attract a CFL franchise to the city.
“It would be irresponsible to say no to the expansion of the football stadium.,” Mr. Bellemare said on behalf of the anonymous investors in an interview on Tuesday. “The investors need to settle the situation involving the stadium. And then we can move and show the rest of Canada that Quebec City is truly a city capable of attracting a CFL franchise.”
According to a marketing study conducted on behalf of the investors by the marketing firm Impact Recherche, 71 per cent of Quebec City residents support a CFL franchise. The study obtained by the Globe and Mail showed that 43 per cent of the 1,001 people polled would be interested in purchasing a season ticket and that 85 per cent believed that Laval University sports centre would be an appropriate location to hold CFL games.
The investors worked closely with the Montreal Alouettes in preparing their project for a CFL franchise. Alouettes' president Larry Smith said in a recent local radio interview he embraced Quebec City as a potential CFL franchise location, saying it would create a healthy rivalry between the two cities and boost interest for the league throughout Quebec.
However, insiders report there has been next to no recent talk of Quebec City as an expansion target for the nine-team league, rather the efforts have centred on Ottawa, where a group of investors was granted a conditional CFL franchise earlier this year.
Senior league officials said they're only interested in expansion insofar as potential owners can provide evidence they have deep pockets and strong local ties.
“We've learned that the hard way in Ottawa,” said an official, referring to the brief and ill-fated return of the Ottawa Renegades in 2005. The team suspended operations the following year.
Since the rebirth of the Montreal Alouettes in 1996, the province has enjoyed a football renaissance of sorts.
It's been rooted largely in francophone Quebec, with junior and high school programs sprouting up.
The number of minor football teams in the province has quadrupled to 800 since 1993, and 26,000 children suit up each year compared to 8,600 in 1993.
Indeed, the perennial powerhouse Université Laval Rouge et Or routinely draw more than 10,000 to their home games, and have topped 19,000 for playoff games.
The marketing study showed that the attraction of a CFL franchise in the city would not have a negative impact on the popularity of local university football games.
Mr. Cannon's blunt statement killed the plan and left local investors scrambling for an alternative project.
“We have a plan B that would include building a stadium just outside Quebec City. But that's a more costly proposal, one that would cost between $75-million and $125-million,” Mr. Bellemare said.
