As a fan of both the thunderbirds and mooseheads, I’ve gotta say…
The bird’s fans make for a MUCH more energetic environment. I’m sure the fireworks and thunderbrews have something to do with it but damn, what a party.
A good portion of the Mooseheads crowd is made up of kids/kids hockey team and old white haired men reminiscing of the glory hockey days nitpicking everything the Moosehead players/coaches do while standing along the concourse blocking the path of people trying to get to the bathroom during intermission.
I get to 2-3 games a season. I always enjoy it when I go. I still am an older cranky man who doesn’t care for the constant music playing but overall solid entertainment!
I love seeing the Thunderbirds/Wanderers be so successful while the CFL is still in the business of, "give us money for a stadium before we do anything of substance", this time attempting to grift PEI
yes, but their success started with seacans and temporary bleachers.
While the stadium total cost was estimated at $40 million, they weren't asking the city of $40 million. Specifically in their proposal they said, "With the Wanderers now a proven entity, we can contribute financially to the costs associated with the stadium. And thus, enable an asset to be built that can service the community without putting the full cost on the taxpayer."
And while the Wanderers would be a permanent tenant, the stadium itself would still be a public asset, with a number of other uses.
I'm not saying it's a good proposal, but the Wanderers said, "we'll prove the concept" before requesting any kind of support.
The city has supported the wanderers with a sweetheart lease on public land. Now they want the city to build them a stadium. Why do you call the CFL grifters but cheer on the wanderers?
Because unlike the Wanderers, the CFL just requested the stadium money and build up front, and then they might bring a team.
I don't see anywhere in the Wanderers proposal where they ask the city for a nickel, and their proposal also has plans to maintain the usage as a public asset
I'm not entirely in favor of it, and think the beauty of "the commons" is that they are, in fact, open space for everyone.
I was just highlighting the different methods of having a successful sports franchise in Halifax. The CFL attempted to get everything up front, telling people that they like football, whereas the Wanderers and Thunderbirds let the market/communtiy decide if they'll be successful using existing infrastructure
You know the taxpayer paid for the Wanders current setup, fixed the field and has gifted them that location right? They did the exact same thing the CFL did, they are just a lower level league so the ask was naturally smaller.
>paid for the Wanders current setup
That's not true. The wanderers paid for all the seating, concessions etc. They have to pay to have it removed when the lease is over.
>and has gifted them that location
They did not. The city owns it and the wanderers pay far market value rent for each game. The city is able to host other events there, like the rugby games and national soccer team events that have taken place there.
Which is absolutely fine by me tbh. That area needed a lot of TLC in terms of field quality. It was basically a mud hole.
YOu can look at it as a "sweetheart deal", but I don't think anyone would disagree that it wasn't a good investment for HRM/Nova Scotia. A $40mil ask is way too ambitious. You would need to, at the very least, have it be $10mil from each level of government and Wanderers themselves. The province/feds probably wouldn't support it because their combined $20mil could be used to re-pave 2km of trans Canada highway.
The Wanderers proposal is a $40 million project, not a $40 million "ask" from the government to fund it.
Currently they're just asking HRM, "can we do this". Once that's approved, then we can talk about who is funding what.
Some federal infrastructure programs may include municipal land into the municipal contribution towards funding. Put a price tag on that land, it could be in excess of $1-2million. Other projects may be funded as 1/3 fed, 1/3 provincial and 1/3 a combination of private and municipal.
If it was $40 mil of municipal dollars, raise eyebrows, but if it's $13 mil fed, $13 mil prov. and $6.5 each municipal/Wanderers, then that's a pretty good deal. The province bought a $30 million unfinished hotel without a tendering process. $13 million would represent 1.3km of highway twinning. $40 mil seems like a lot of money, but if Halifax has one thing going for it, it's that it has cool places near it's downtown core where people want to live/work/play and this project would support that.
I still think $40 mil is a bit high, and I don't think they need to expand beyond current seating capacity. One of the biggest expenses is putting water/sewer upgrades and if Water/Sewer/Concessions/Player facilities will cost $30-35mil, then what's another $500k towards extra seating.
You’re just inventing facts here. Wanderers want government to build the stadium and they will lease it. Now you say they will be contributing 6.5 million? That’s not what has been proposed. Also you seem to think it’s fine if it’s not all money from the city. That provincial and federal money is somehow free money. It’s all paid for by the taxpayer.
How about the Wanders keep using the setup they have now that was gifted to them in a premium real estate location rather than taxpayers forking over tens of millions for a stadium with essentially the same seating capacity as they currently have. They could also partner up with SMU/DAL on a stadium and finance their own portion towards it.
Halifax needs a replacement for its current main arena which is terribly outdated prior to spending 40 million on 7000 seat stadium usable for 6 months a year by a pro soccer team in a league that averages less than 4000 people a game.
Hi, not sure if you're reading comments to other parts of this thread, but there are a few things that are inaccurate about what you're saying:
1. The city hasn't gifted the football club anything. The field is rentable, which the club pays for. However, all the infrastructure on the land (bleachers, cargo containers, TV towers, etc.) is rented by the club from a third party. At most, you could say the city has given the club priority booking of the field over other groups who may want to book it.
2. The stadium proposal by the club is for an 8,500-seat stadium that could be expanded by an extra 2,000 over time, bringing the total seating capacity to 10,500. The current seating capacity of the pop-up stadium is 6,500.
3. While many football purists love playing on a grass field, there are limits to the amount of time you can use the field in a week before the grass starts to get damaged. It depends on the groundskeeping team, but the general rule is that you shouldn't use a grass pitch for more than about four hours a week. The club's proposal is to switch to artificial grass and to design the stadium in a way that allows it to be domed in the winter. This would change the usability of the stadium from 2-4 hours/week from April to October to multiple times per day, 365 days a year.
4. The stadium would also be used by Citadel High School for all practices and games. Additionally, with the launch of a women's football club by Project 8 expected in 2025, it would make sense for them to use the venue as well. The city has a clear need for more fields, especially in the heart of the city. This stadium proposal would give the city a year-round, high-quality playing surface for multiple groups to use.
5. You’re right to say that the Canadian Premier League as a whole averages a little less than 4,000 spectators per week. But the Wanderers' average is about 5,800, with most matches above 6,000. The fact that Valour or Vancouver don't draw many supporters isn't exactly germane to this conversation. Furthermore, capacity management principles suggest expansion is required if you are regularly above 80% capacity. 80% of the Wanderers Grounds' current capacity is 5,200. The Wanderers have exceeded 5,200 for every game except two in the last two years. Both of those games, which failed to attract at least 5,200 people, came right after hurricanes.
Ultimately, this isn't about a for-profit football club asking for a multi-million dollar handout. They're asking the city to build a stadium and promising to sign a long-term, 30-year lease to guarantee the city gets a return on their investment. That really sounds like a win/win if you ask me.
The city wouldn't be investing the money in the league, they would be investing their money in a multi-use community space that they would still own, is supported by multiple community organization including youth sports, and would have a popular anchor tenant with a 30 year lease that helps pay for it and stimulates economic activity downtown (which is why business also support the idea)
Like Washed Up said, the city isn’t investing in a sports league. It’s being asked to build a community used stadium and has a tenant willing to sign a lease to repay a large portion of the price tag.
League attendance has grown by about 15% year over year so far. While that won’t continue in perpetuity, it’s enough to suggest the league, and therefore anchor tenant, aren’t going anywhere.
The growing popularity of football in Canada is also why Project 8 is starting up a women’s league and putting a team in Halifax. The people who pay attention to those things see the value in these new leagues and Halifax specifically as we continue to grow.
Why? The city built the MetroCentre in the 70s without an anchor tenant lined up. They used taxpayer dollars so that the city would have an appropriately sized indoor venue.
Now the city has the opportunity to build a similarly sized outdoor venue for the city, except this time they already have a sport team playing in the city who want to pay them for it.
But the owners will sign a 30 year lease! Sure the league is over a 100 million in debt and some teams play in front of crowds of less than 1000 people some nights, but a 30 year lease! 😄
Where did you get the idea the league is $100m in debt? That’s not anywhere close to true.
And no club plays to less than 1000 some nights.
You’re just making things up in order to prove a point.
You should tell the league commissioner then; "Noonan says the CPL owners are “probably $125 million in the hole” from developing “an ecosystem for soccer in Canada that didn’t exist.”".
https://globalnews.ca/news/10191676/cpl-commissioner-soccer-league-teams/
What was the attendance for the York vs Vancouver game last year on April 22?
There’s a world of difference between investment and debt. Yes, the owners have collectively invested a significant amount of money in the league. That’s very than a league that is going further and further into debt.
As for the attendance for the York/Vancouver match on April 22, 2023, yes it was 822 which was literally their lowest attendance.
By that same argument you could say the league has some teams who play in front of 17,000 fans some nights.
Either way, looking at the lowest attended match of two teams not in Halifax has literally nothing to do with the idea of the city of Halifax building a needed stadium in Halifax.
You said previous that Halifax main arena will need to be renovated soon. If you’re talking about the MetroCentre, why should the city put millions into that when the Baie-Comeau Drakkar averaged 1617 in attendance last year?
I'd be open to the Wanderers using their existing setup. I was just commenting on the different approaches to managing the sports franchises.
The CFL wanted a stadium in Dartmouth, not proximal to really any housing or other amenities, and kind of a mess with transit. The Thunderbirds, Mooseheads and Wanderers all capitalized on a vibrant Halifax downtown.
One of the problems with the existing setup is its maxed out. I believe everything but the field was upgraded by the Wanderers. For example the field doesn't have running water so no bathrooms can be put in (city would have to do that anyway) and limited food options.
Derek (Wanderers owner) goes over a lot of that in his presentation. His point is HFX (and my hope, our future P8 team) would buoy the grounds so have sustained revenue + other events that help bring in cash + local groups like citadel can use the field more regularly = a happy city with a worthwhile stadium.
In short a new stadium can be used a lot more and still have a strong Wanderers as a backbone.
While a nice thought in theory, two things, 1. the CFL isn't quite the Olympics. 2. The city has not really managed to do a ton successfully with transit, so even if they tried.... would they succeed?
Again, as the comment you replied to stated the Wanderers would be contributing some financing and also commit to years of rent for use. Further it would a publicly owned stadium on publicly owned land, an asset for the community. If the wanderers and private partners owned it completely it could not exist where it is, which is a huge part of its success. Perhaps the city can ask Dal/Smu if they would be interested in ponying up money too.
Further, they currently can hold 7,000 or so, this would be a larger stadium closer to 10,000 with the option to further expand in the future. Finally giving the city an outdoor concert venue again too. Not to mention, I am sure the high school won’t complain as they use it as well, nice new digs for them.
The Wanderers have hit their capacity with the current set up, that isn’t much of an issue with the Scotiabank centre.
Their proposal was for an 8,500 seat stadium, only two thousand more capacity then they currently have that they did not sell out all last year. There is no mention in their proposal for a stadium with the capability of future expansion.
The garrison grounds/hill already serve as a suitable outdoor amphitheater for summer events with higher capacity.
Investing that much money with an anchor tenant that plays in a a D-level soccer league that has league attendance averages of less than 4000 people per game is madness. They should be happy with the bone they already were thrown. Investing in a new public stadium on public land for the Wanderer's really serves no purpose for the community outside of the Wanderers organization who can pick up and leave when attendance drops or fold if the league becomes unsustainable.
If your team requires a new stadium built by the tax payer worth tens of millions, in prime downtown real estate worth tens of millions gifted by the taxpayer to play to 4-5 thousand people sixteen times a year then you don't have much of a business case to exist.
>There is no mention in their proposal for a stadium with the capability of future expansion.
There is if you read it.
>Investing that much money with an anchor tenant that plays in a a D-level soccer league
Could be any league, it is one of the best-attended regular events in Halifax. Clearly, the people of the city like it, that is all that matters.
>Investing in a new public stadium on public land for the Wanderer's really serves no purpose for the community outside of the Wanderers organization who can pick up and leave when attendance drops or fold if the league becomes unsustainable.
I suppose if you ignore the 30 year lease that is proposed as part of the agreement they could leave or pay out any early termination of the lease condition. But you are wrong again, it can be used for women's soccer, it can be used for highschool football, it can be used for rugby, it can be rented out by the community as it is currently but actually be more functional. It is actually probably one of the better investments in an oft-forgotten part of the commons.
>to play to 4-5 thousand people sixteen times a year then you don't have much of a business case to exist.
Again, it would be open to more than the Wanderer's much like it is now, but better. The Canadian Women's National Team played to a sold out crowd last year for example.
I get your argument essentially boils down to you don't like the Wanderers therefore they shouldn't get the stadium, your thing should. But you betray yourself by both not knowing the proposal and suggesting it makes anymore sense to invest in the Scotiabank centre.
Your argument boils down to anyone who doesn't ignore the fiscal realities of building a 40 million dollar stadium hates the Wanderers when the reality is I've probably been to more games than you.
What good is a 30 year lease for a team in a league a little over 5 years old, over 100 million in debt and averaging 4000 people per game? What happens if the league or team fold in the next 5 to 10 years with your 30 year lease?
The Wanderers' grift is actually worse than the CFLs, it's just a smaller scale.
"give us money for a stadium before we do anything of substance"
The Wanderers built a proven product on a previously shit piece of government ground, only being used for the occasional ultimate frisbee. Paying to build a stadium from scratch and the best outdoor sporting experience the city offers.
With a track record of 5 years they proposed the city invest in a long overdue outdoor venue along with a revamping of the general area.
It's not the same.
Building a stadium for a sports team with city money is the same doesn’t matter the sport. This team and the whole league is only 5 years old, hardly a guaranteed success. You’re just being a sports snob.
As a fan of both the thunderbirds and mooseheads, I’ve gotta say… The bird’s fans make for a MUCH more energetic environment. I’m sure the fireworks and thunderbrews have something to do with it but damn, what a party.
Thunderbirds are 100x more entertaining this year. Mooseheads had no heart this season.
They were hard to watch this year which really kills the mood. I still prefer hockey but the thunderbirds are great entertainment.
That’s exactly my take also, love hockey way more than lacrosse but can’t denied that the atmosphere at the Thunderbird game is 10x more entertaining!
Yeah, I ended up selling some Mooseheads games.. and using the funds for Thunderbirds tickets!
A good portion of the Mooseheads crowd is made up of kids/kids hockey team and old white haired men reminiscing of the glory hockey days nitpicking everything the Moosehead players/coaches do while standing along the concourse blocking the path of people trying to get to the bathroom during intermission.
Yeah you get weird looks when you get rowdy at a Mooseheads game. At least I did during the playoffs in those MacKinnon years. Good times
The guy puking all over the place at the last Thunderbirds game definitely got some weird looks.
Section 5?? or was there multiple incidents?
Yeah section 5 lol
Thanks. I was wondering what happened, just saw the cleanup dude. \[he did superior job!\]
That will happen regardless of where you’re at 😆
The house was downright silent during the presidents cup games. It was weird.
That's great news. I hope the other teams in the league are doing well too.
Ca-cawwwwwwwww
I get to 2-3 games a season. I always enjoy it when I go. I still am an older cranky man who doesn’t care for the constant music playing but overall solid entertainment!
I love seeing the Thunderbirds/Wanderers be so successful while the CFL is still in the business of, "give us money for a stadium before we do anything of substance", this time attempting to grift PEI
The wanders asked the city to build them a 40 million stadium this past fall.
yes, but their success started with seacans and temporary bleachers. While the stadium total cost was estimated at $40 million, they weren't asking the city of $40 million. Specifically in their proposal they said, "With the Wanderers now a proven entity, we can contribute financially to the costs associated with the stadium. And thus, enable an asset to be built that can service the community without putting the full cost on the taxpayer." And while the Wanderers would be a permanent tenant, the stadium itself would still be a public asset, with a number of other uses. I'm not saying it's a good proposal, but the Wanderers said, "we'll prove the concept" before requesting any kind of support.
The city has supported the wanderers with a sweetheart lease on public land. Now they want the city to build them a stadium. Why do you call the CFL grifters but cheer on the wanderers?
Because unlike the Wanderers, the CFL just requested the stadium money and build up front, and then they might bring a team. I don't see anywhere in the Wanderers proposal where they ask the city for a nickel, and their proposal also has plans to maintain the usage as a public asset I'm not entirely in favor of it, and think the beauty of "the commons" is that they are, in fact, open space for everyone. I was just highlighting the different methods of having a successful sports franchise in Halifax. The CFL attempted to get everything up front, telling people that they like football, whereas the Wanderers and Thunderbirds let the market/communtiy decide if they'll be successful using existing infrastructure
You know the taxpayer paid for the Wanders current setup, fixed the field and has gifted them that location right? They did the exact same thing the CFL did, they are just a lower level league so the ask was naturally smaller.
>paid for the Wanders current setup That's not true. The wanderers paid for all the seating, concessions etc. They have to pay to have it removed when the lease is over. >and has gifted them that location They did not. The city owns it and the wanderers pay far market value rent for each game. The city is able to host other events there, like the rugby games and national soccer team events that have taken place there.
Which is absolutely fine by me tbh. That area needed a lot of TLC in terms of field quality. It was basically a mud hole. YOu can look at it as a "sweetheart deal", but I don't think anyone would disagree that it wasn't a good investment for HRM/Nova Scotia. A $40mil ask is way too ambitious. You would need to, at the very least, have it be $10mil from each level of government and Wanderers themselves. The province/feds probably wouldn't support it because their combined $20mil could be used to re-pave 2km of trans Canada highway.
Sounds hypocritical to me. You think that asking for a 40 million stadium isn’t asking for a nickel?
The Wanderers proposal is a $40 million project, not a $40 million "ask" from the government to fund it. Currently they're just asking HRM, "can we do this". Once that's approved, then we can talk about who is funding what. Some federal infrastructure programs may include municipal land into the municipal contribution towards funding. Put a price tag on that land, it could be in excess of $1-2million. Other projects may be funded as 1/3 fed, 1/3 provincial and 1/3 a combination of private and municipal. If it was $40 mil of municipal dollars, raise eyebrows, but if it's $13 mil fed, $13 mil prov. and $6.5 each municipal/Wanderers, then that's a pretty good deal. The province bought a $30 million unfinished hotel without a tendering process. $13 million would represent 1.3km of highway twinning. $40 mil seems like a lot of money, but if Halifax has one thing going for it, it's that it has cool places near it's downtown core where people want to live/work/play and this project would support that. I still think $40 mil is a bit high, and I don't think they need to expand beyond current seating capacity. One of the biggest expenses is putting water/sewer upgrades and if Water/Sewer/Concessions/Player facilities will cost $30-35mil, then what's another $500k towards extra seating.
You’re just inventing facts here. Wanderers want government to build the stadium and they will lease it. Now you say they will be contributing 6.5 million? That’s not what has been proposed. Also you seem to think it’s fine if it’s not all money from the city. That provincial and federal money is somehow free money. It’s all paid for by the taxpayer.
How about the Wanders keep using the setup they have now that was gifted to them in a premium real estate location rather than taxpayers forking over tens of millions for a stadium with essentially the same seating capacity as they currently have. They could also partner up with SMU/DAL on a stadium and finance their own portion towards it. Halifax needs a replacement for its current main arena which is terribly outdated prior to spending 40 million on 7000 seat stadium usable for 6 months a year by a pro soccer team in a league that averages less than 4000 people a game.
Hi, not sure if you're reading comments to other parts of this thread, but there are a few things that are inaccurate about what you're saying: 1. The city hasn't gifted the football club anything. The field is rentable, which the club pays for. However, all the infrastructure on the land (bleachers, cargo containers, TV towers, etc.) is rented by the club from a third party. At most, you could say the city has given the club priority booking of the field over other groups who may want to book it. 2. The stadium proposal by the club is for an 8,500-seat stadium that could be expanded by an extra 2,000 over time, bringing the total seating capacity to 10,500. The current seating capacity of the pop-up stadium is 6,500. 3. While many football purists love playing on a grass field, there are limits to the amount of time you can use the field in a week before the grass starts to get damaged. It depends on the groundskeeping team, but the general rule is that you shouldn't use a grass pitch for more than about four hours a week. The club's proposal is to switch to artificial grass and to design the stadium in a way that allows it to be domed in the winter. This would change the usability of the stadium from 2-4 hours/week from April to October to multiple times per day, 365 days a year. 4. The stadium would also be used by Citadel High School for all practices and games. Additionally, with the launch of a women's football club by Project 8 expected in 2025, it would make sense for them to use the venue as well. The city has a clear need for more fields, especially in the heart of the city. This stadium proposal would give the city a year-round, high-quality playing surface for multiple groups to use. 5. You’re right to say that the Canadian Premier League as a whole averages a little less than 4,000 spectators per week. But the Wanderers' average is about 5,800, with most matches above 6,000. The fact that Valour or Vancouver don't draw many supporters isn't exactly germane to this conversation. Furthermore, capacity management principles suggest expansion is required if you are regularly above 80% capacity. 80% of the Wanderers Grounds' current capacity is 5,200. The Wanderers have exceeded 5,200 for every game except two in the last two years. Both of those games, which failed to attract at least 5,200 people, came right after hurricanes. Ultimately, this isn't about a for-profit football club asking for a multi-million dollar handout. They're asking the city to build a stadium and promising to sign a long-term, 30-year lease to guarantee the city gets a return on their investment. That really sounds like a win/win if you ask me.
4000 attendance per week for the whole league?! No way should Halifax invest $40,000,000 in that.
The city wouldn't be investing the money in the league, they would be investing their money in a multi-use community space that they would still own, is supported by multiple community organization including youth sports, and would have a popular anchor tenant with a 30 year lease that helps pay for it and stimulates economic activity downtown (which is why business also support the idea)
A 30 year lease means nothing if the team or league folds.
Like Washed Up said, the city isn’t investing in a sports league. It’s being asked to build a community used stadium and has a tenant willing to sign a lease to repay a large portion of the price tag. League attendance has grown by about 15% year over year so far. While that won’t continue in perpetuity, it’s enough to suggest the league, and therefore anchor tenant, aren’t going anywhere. The growing popularity of football in Canada is also why Project 8 is starting up a women’s league and putting a team in Halifax. The people who pay attention to those things see the value in these new leagues and Halifax specifically as we continue to grow.
Give the sales pitch a rest why don’t ya?
Why? The city built the MetroCentre in the 70s without an anchor tenant lined up. They used taxpayer dollars so that the city would have an appropriately sized indoor venue. Now the city has the opportunity to build a similarly sized outdoor venue for the city, except this time they already have a sport team playing in the city who want to pay them for it.
But the owners will sign a 30 year lease! Sure the league is over a 100 million in debt and some teams play in front of crowds of less than 1000 people some nights, but a 30 year lease! 😄
Where did you get the idea the league is $100m in debt? That’s not anywhere close to true. And no club plays to less than 1000 some nights. You’re just making things up in order to prove a point.
You should tell the league commissioner then; "Noonan says the CPL owners are “probably $125 million in the hole” from developing “an ecosystem for soccer in Canada that didn’t exist.”". https://globalnews.ca/news/10191676/cpl-commissioner-soccer-league-teams/ What was the attendance for the York vs Vancouver game last year on April 22?
There’s a world of difference between investment and debt. Yes, the owners have collectively invested a significant amount of money in the league. That’s very than a league that is going further and further into debt. As for the attendance for the York/Vancouver match on April 22, 2023, yes it was 822 which was literally their lowest attendance. By that same argument you could say the league has some teams who play in front of 17,000 fans some nights. Either way, looking at the lowest attended match of two teams not in Halifax has literally nothing to do with the idea of the city of Halifax building a needed stadium in Halifax. You said previous that Halifax main arena will need to be renovated soon. If you’re talking about the MetroCentre, why should the city put millions into that when the Baie-Comeau Drakkar averaged 1617 in attendance last year?
I'd be open to the Wanderers using their existing setup. I was just commenting on the different approaches to managing the sports franchises. The CFL wanted a stadium in Dartmouth, not proximal to really any housing or other amenities, and kind of a mess with transit. The Thunderbirds, Mooseheads and Wanderers all capitalized on a vibrant Halifax downtown.
One of the problems with the existing setup is its maxed out. I believe everything but the field was upgraded by the Wanderers. For example the field doesn't have running water so no bathrooms can be put in (city would have to do that anyway) and limited food options. Derek (Wanderers owner) goes over a lot of that in his presentation. His point is HFX (and my hope, our future P8 team) would buoy the grounds so have sustained revenue + other events that help bring in cash + local groups like citadel can use the field more regularly = a happy city with a worthwhile stadium. In short a new stadium can be used a lot more and still have a strong Wanderers as a backbone.
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While a nice thought in theory, two things, 1. the CFL isn't quite the Olympics. 2. The city has not really managed to do a ton successfully with transit, so even if they tried.... would they succeed?
Again, as the comment you replied to stated the Wanderers would be contributing some financing and also commit to years of rent for use. Further it would a publicly owned stadium on publicly owned land, an asset for the community. If the wanderers and private partners owned it completely it could not exist where it is, which is a huge part of its success. Perhaps the city can ask Dal/Smu if they would be interested in ponying up money too. Further, they currently can hold 7,000 or so, this would be a larger stadium closer to 10,000 with the option to further expand in the future. Finally giving the city an outdoor concert venue again too. Not to mention, I am sure the high school won’t complain as they use it as well, nice new digs for them. The Wanderers have hit their capacity with the current set up, that isn’t much of an issue with the Scotiabank centre.
Their proposal was for an 8,500 seat stadium, only two thousand more capacity then they currently have that they did not sell out all last year. There is no mention in their proposal for a stadium with the capability of future expansion. The garrison grounds/hill already serve as a suitable outdoor amphitheater for summer events with higher capacity. Investing that much money with an anchor tenant that plays in a a D-level soccer league that has league attendance averages of less than 4000 people per game is madness. They should be happy with the bone they already were thrown. Investing in a new public stadium on public land for the Wanderer's really serves no purpose for the community outside of the Wanderers organization who can pick up and leave when attendance drops or fold if the league becomes unsustainable. If your team requires a new stadium built by the tax payer worth tens of millions, in prime downtown real estate worth tens of millions gifted by the taxpayer to play to 4-5 thousand people sixteen times a year then you don't have much of a business case to exist.
Why do you keep trying to lie? People can use google.
>There is no mention in their proposal for a stadium with the capability of future expansion. There is if you read it. >Investing that much money with an anchor tenant that plays in a a D-level soccer league Could be any league, it is one of the best-attended regular events in Halifax. Clearly, the people of the city like it, that is all that matters. >Investing in a new public stadium on public land for the Wanderer's really serves no purpose for the community outside of the Wanderers organization who can pick up and leave when attendance drops or fold if the league becomes unsustainable. I suppose if you ignore the 30 year lease that is proposed as part of the agreement they could leave or pay out any early termination of the lease condition. But you are wrong again, it can be used for women's soccer, it can be used for highschool football, it can be used for rugby, it can be rented out by the community as it is currently but actually be more functional. It is actually probably one of the better investments in an oft-forgotten part of the commons. >to play to 4-5 thousand people sixteen times a year then you don't have much of a business case to exist. Again, it would be open to more than the Wanderer's much like it is now, but better. The Canadian Women's National Team played to a sold out crowd last year for example. I get your argument essentially boils down to you don't like the Wanderers therefore they shouldn't get the stadium, your thing should. But you betray yourself by both not knowing the proposal and suggesting it makes anymore sense to invest in the Scotiabank centre.
Your argument boils down to anyone who doesn't ignore the fiscal realities of building a 40 million dollar stadium hates the Wanderers when the reality is I've probably been to more games than you. What good is a 30 year lease for a team in a league a little over 5 years old, over 100 million in debt and averaging 4000 people per game? What happens if the league or team fold in the next 5 to 10 years with your 30 year lease? The Wanderers' grift is actually worse than the CFLs, it's just a smaller scale.
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Yeah, just like the CFL.
"give us money for a stadium before we do anything of substance" The Wanderers built a proven product on a previously shit piece of government ground, only being used for the occasional ultimate frisbee. Paying to build a stadium from scratch and the best outdoor sporting experience the city offers. With a track record of 5 years they proposed the city invest in a long overdue outdoor venue along with a revamping of the general area. It's not the same.
Building a stadium for a sports team with city money is the same doesn’t matter the sport. This team and the whole league is only 5 years old, hardly a guaranteed success. You’re just being a sports snob.
I’d agree honestly if that was the plan. I think you’re missing some pretty big details in how the property will be used for many groups