Both the Quebec Provincial and Quebec City Governments announced funding a $400 million arena in hopes of luring an NHL team to the provincial capital.
What kind of stupid idea is this? What are these Quebec politicians thinking? Like many other world governments during this global recession, the Quebec provincial and municipal governments are cash-strapped. Just last week thousands of Quebec’s post-secondary education students protested against higher tuition fees. Now we found out why they are increasing; to fund the building of this arena.
The last five Canadian NHL arenas that have opened since 1995 (Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg) were all privately financed. Governments in Canada have lost big time on building sports facilities (Hello Skydome and Olympic Stadium) and have all but ditched that business (unless an event comes along like the 2015 Pan-Am Games allowing a much needed new stadium to be built for my Ticats). Why would the Quebec City and Provincial Governments fund an arena for a team they don’t even have, with money that don’t even have?
To make it worse, Quebec City isn’t even guaranteed getting an NHL team if the arena is built. Look at my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Almost 30 years ago Hamilton funded $33.5 million to build Copps Coliseum in hopes of landing an NHL team and is still waiting. Yes the arena has allowed many big acts, events and concerts to pass through Steeltown and is home of the American Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs, but many, most, view the arena as a white elephant because that NHL team has never arrived.
Speaking of white elephants, the Province of Quebec knows what that is like. Spending $1 billion to build Montreal’s Olympic Stadium in preparation for hosting the 1976 Summer Olympics and as a future home for Major League Baseball’s Montreal Expos and the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes. Today the large stadium sits mainly empty as the Expos left for Washington in 2004 and the Alouettes play two games there annually – if they are lucky.
I know many in Quebec City would love to see NHL hockey return for the first time since 1995. I would also love to see the return of Les Nordiques. But I feel a better course of action can be taken. Currently Le Coliese, Les Nordiques’ former home, is still in use. The Quebec City and Provincial Governments can set the huge sum of money aside in a bank account or some other investment type. If Quebec media giant and potential Nordiques owner Quebecor is successfully able to purchase the Coyotes, Panthers, Hurricanes or insert your Southern U.S struggling NHL hockey franchise here, and seek NHL approval to move it to Quebec City, they can play in the old arena first for two seasons, then move to the new one upon its completion. At least Quebec City has this option with the old arena, whereas Hamilton did not when they decided to build Copps Coliseum. I would not want to see both the province and city spend $400 million on an arena and no NHL team arrives. The old saying if you build it they will come does not work in all cases. I hope not but I feel this maybe one of them.
What do you think?
…and that is the last word.
