[Elvis]

Totay is a big day in Québec City where everybody is waiting for that answer.

Code:

Josh Wingrove and Rhéal Seguin

From Tuesday's Globe and Mail Published on Monday, Sep. 06, 2010 8:53PM EDT Last updated on Tuesday, Sep. 07, 2010 5:21PM EDT

A proposal to build a $400-million, publicly financed hockey arena in Quebec City is expected to take a major step forward Tuesday, leaving Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government stuck between its political ambitions in the province and its cost-cutting mandate.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest is scheduled to play host to Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume, along with a key business leader exploring the arena’s viability, in his office Tuesday. They are set to discuss a recently completed but unreleased feasibility study on the arena – a locally popular project that’s a linchpin for the city’s bids for both the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and a National Hockey League franchise.

The meeting suggests the province may support the project. Mr. Harper, an avid hockey fan, also said last week he hopes NHL hockey does return to the city – something that won’t happen without a new rink.

With a possible federal election looming, the Conservatives can’t afford to alienate Quebec voters, even as Ottawa faces soaring deficits, observers say. Quebec is widely considered the key to a Conservative majority, and the arena is supported by the federal Liberals and Bloc Québécois.

The politically charged project, as such, may push forward with federal money despite having no guarantee of either the Olympics or the NHL.

“This is all politics. There is nothing but politics in this,” said Michael Behiels, a history professor at the University of Ottawa specializing in Canadian and Québécois politics. “That’s prime federalist Conservative territory. Harper has everything to gain politically by opening up the federal coffers to Quebec City and building an arena there.”

Mr. Labeaume, the mayor, is a long-time backer of the arena, which would include a moat and be made of wood to reflect the city’s heritage. The city has pledged $50-million.

The federal Liberals have supported such a project for a year, MP Marc Garneau said, saying Mr. Harper made his comments about the NHL because “obviously they have a base in the Quebec City area and they felt the need to do something about it.”

Quebec’s last NHL team, the Nordiques, moved to Colorado 15 years ago. With a salary cap and a higher Canadian dollar, supporters say a team would now be viable, though Quebec City would be one of the league’s smallest markets and a team would struggle to break even.

If an arena were approved, the city must still find a generous owner and a franchise, said Norm O’Reilly, a professor of sports business at the University of Ottawa. Other cities are also competing for a franchise, including Winnipeg and Kansas City, which already have arenas.

One possibility for ownership may be Quebecor Inc., which was a bidder for the Montreal Canadiens and whose CEO, Pierre Karl Péladeau, is a rumoured supporter of the Quebec City arena project, Prof. O’Reilly said.

“All the pieces are in play, except the ownership question, and that’s a big one,” he said.

“The commissioner doesn’t want failed franchises, and a relocation in their view is a failed franchise,” Prof. O’Reilly said.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has fought the return of franchises to Canada, but said earlier this year that “with the right ownership group, with a new arena ... I believe a team can be well-supported in [Quebec City].”

Like hopes of an NHL franchise, there are no guarantees an Olympic bid would be successful if a new arena were built. Two feasibility studies related to other facilities, such as a ski hill, required for a bid are expected to be released later this year.

Given the uncertainty, “this would be a tremendous coup for Quebec City, but it would also be the biggest federal government boondoggle going,” Prof. Behiels said.

“If they can come up with this and keep hopes alive there in that region for an NHL team, that would be a great coup for Harper. Whether or not it brings a team is another matter.”

Support for the arena is heavy in Quebec. A demonstration is being organized on the Plains of Abraham next month by a local group of supporters, who have invited former Nordiques stars to attend.

Karine Sauvé, a spokeswoman for Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe, cited federal funding for Vancouver Olympics infrastructure projects in justifying her party’s support.

“If other cities in Canada were able to get funding, then why not Quebec City?” she said. However, Vancouver’s bid for the Games included $470-million in capital funding split equally between the province and federal government – but it was contingent on the city actually receiving the Games. (NHL arenas in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver were built with private money. A proposed arena in Edmonton, home of the NHL’s Oilers, has not yet received public money.)

However, unlike in Quebec, the Conservatives face little political opposition in cities such as Edmonton. As one Alberta MP said Monday, of the 27 Conservative MPs in Alberta, “27 of them are hockey fans” and he “wouldn’t have much of a problem defending” a Quebec arena to his constituents.

The Harper government has given mixed messages on the project. Treasury Board President Stockwell Day said recently the government wouldn’t offer up cash, before clarifying and saying it wouldn’t fund a team. Calls for comment Monday from the Harper government were not returned.

[2Cdo]

I say NO. Let the city and province finance it themselves.

[ShepherdsDog]

he's a politician....if he thinks it'll win him votes of course he will. None of them would turn down this opportunity. Will Quebec City be greatful...likely not.

[Gunnair]

No.

[jeff744]

Funny how he will find the money for a stadium but can't help out groups that genuinely need the money.

[Strutz]

Quote:

Mr. Labeaume, the mayor, is a long-time backer of the arena, which would include a moat and be made of wood to reflect the city’s heritage. The city has pledged $50-million

A moat? Interesting design feature for a hockey rink. Complete with alligators?

The Feds should not fund this arena. I don't believe their supporting this would sway Quebec voters from voting the way they would choose to anyway. There are much bigger issues/policies that influence voters than whether or not the government would kick in for one arena that may or may not ever have an NHL team playing in it.

[andyt]

NO! Hell No!. I hope this hurts him with his base. Are the ex-reformers that make up a large part of the party really Ok with Harper pandering to Quebec and spending borrowed govt money? If they are, they've really been drinking his bathwater.

[RUEZ]

I am 100% against this. I'll be highly dissapointed if he does this to win votes.

[andyt]

Jihadis are given an exemption that allows them to commit sins against Islam to fit in with the infidels before they attack.

I guess Harper has been given an exemption to commit sins against neo-conservatism to get a majority so he can attack.

[bootlegga]

[sarcasm]This shouldn't be about vote buying, but more about providing facilities for billionaires to have places to employ their millionaires players. [/sarcasm]

Seriously though, if they are willing to kick in the same amount for Edmonton's proposed new arena (and maybe some for Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver to renovate their buildings too), I say okay.

[andyt]

Whatever happened to private enterprise? Why are we subsidizing sports teams for fucks sake? So a few guys can make a lot of money, and a few more people get to work as cleaners and ticket takers? What a waste of money.

[bootlegga]

andyt wrote:

Whatever happened to private enterprise? Why are we subsidizing sports teams for fucks sake? So a few guys can make a lot of money, and a few more people get to work as cleaners and ticket takers? What a waste of money.

It's hardly a few people, it's more like hundreds, sometimes thousands.

First off, the people who build the stadium make very good money. Then, when it's finished, it employs hundreds of people year round, a fair number of them making pretty decent money (maybe not six figures, but definitely livable salaries).

Perhaps 'ticket takers' and 'cleaners' get paid a pittance in Vancouver, but here in Edmonton, Northlands (the organization currently operating Rexall Place) has a policy of paying well above minimum wage. When I worked there in the early 90s, they paid a minimum of $3 an hour above minimum wage and the jobs were highly sought after by both the young (high school and college students) and the old (semi-retired/elderly) as a well-paying part time job (with pretty much as many hours as you want). When certain events come to town (the Rodeo, circus, etc) the jobs morph from part time to almost full time. Even when the Oilers are on a home stand, you wind up working two, three, or even four nights a week.

The majority (say 2/3) of jobs at arenas may not be typical permanent, full time white collar/blue collar jobs that can support a family, but they provide excellent income for a second job for those that want them.

Maybe you feel that GM Place isn't an economic benefit for your city, but I'd bet that those in the know feel it is.

[andyt]

bootlegga wrote:

andyt wrote:

Whatever happened to private enterprise? Why are we subsidizing sports teams for fucks sake? So a few guys can make a lot of money, and a few more people get to work as cleaners and ticket takers? What a waste of money.

It's hardly a few people, it's more like hundreds, sometimes thousands.

First off, the people who build the stadium make very good money. Then, when it's finished, it employs hundreds of people year round, a fair number of them making pretty decent money (maybe not six figures, but definitely livable salaries).

Perhaps 'ticket takers' and 'cleaners' get paid a pittance in Vancouver, but here in Edmonton, Northlands (the organization currently operating Rexall Place) has a policy of paying well above minimum wage. When I worked there in the early 90s, they paid a minimum of $3 an hour above minimum wage and the jobs were highly sought after by both the young (high school and college students) and the old (semi-retired/elderly) as a well-paying part time job (with pretty much as many hours as you want). When certain events come to town (the Rodeo, circus, etc) the jobs morph from part time to almost full time. Even when the Oilers are on a home stand, you wind up working two, three, or even four nights a week.

The majority (say 2/3) of jobs at arenas may not be typical permanent, full time white collar/blue collar jobs that can support a family, but they provide excellent income for a second job for those that want them.

Maybe you feel that GM Place isn't an economic benefit for your city, but I'd bet that those in the know feel it is.

So you're saying the 400 million is a good investment, vs other uses of that money, which we would have to borrow, since we're running a deficit?

Again, what's with this subsidizing private business? Let them build their own arenas.

[bootlegga]

andyt wrote:

bootlegga wrote:

andyt wrote:

Whatever happened to private enterprise? Why are we subsidizing sports teams for fucks sake? So a few guys can make a lot of money, and a few more people get to work as cleaners and ticket takers? What a waste of money.

It's hardly a few people, it's more like hundreds, sometimes thousands.

First off, the people who build the stadium make very good money. Then, when it's finished, it employs hundreds of people year round, a fair number of them making pretty decent money (maybe not six figures, but definitely livable salaries).

Perhaps 'ticket takers' and 'cleaners' get paid a pittance in Vancouver, but here in Edmonton, Northlands (the organization currently operating Rexall Place) has a policy of paying well above minimum wage. When I worked there in the early 90s, they paid a minimum of $3 an hour above minimum wage and the jobs were highly sought after by both the young (high school and college students) and the old (semi-retired/elderly) as a well-paying part time job (with pretty much as many hours as you want). When certain events come to town (the Rodeo, circus, etc) the jobs morph from part time to almost full time. Even when the Oilers are on a home stand, you wind up working two, three, or even four nights a week.

The majority (say 2/3) of jobs at arenas may not be typical permanent, full time white collar/blue collar jobs that can support a family, but they provide excellent income for a second job for those that want them.

Maybe you feel that GM Place isn't an economic benefit for your city, but I'd bet that those in the know feel it is.

So you're saying the 400 million is a good investment, vs other uses of that money, which we would have to borrow, since we're running a deficit?

Again, what's with this subsidizing private business? Let them build their own arenas.

First off, Quebec City isn't asking for $400 million, they're asking for help funding the stadium. That can be whatever Harper & co. deems appropriate - $10 million, $50 million, $100 million.

Who said anything about subsidizing private business? Quebec City (and I'm sure Edmonton too) want help in trying to finance the construction of a new arena, which would remain the property of the City (or in Edmonton's case - a large non-profit organization).

And a stadium benefits more than just sports fans. It also benefits those who like live music (concerts), families (events like the circus, Stars on Ice) and so on. A better venue attracts more and better events for your city.

Do you consider building roads so trucking companies can ship goods as a subsidy? Why not make trucking companies pay for highways. Or perhaps we can demand in the future that airlines pay for building/expanding airports. After all, aren't airports a subsidy for airlines? WestJet and Air Canada are both billion dollar companies too.

I could go on and on, but I'm sure you see my point. A city provides some infrastructure for businesses to operate, and in turn they pay taxes/fees to conduct business there. That's the way our economy works.

[andyt]

Stadiums would be at the bottom of my list when times are tight. In VAncouver the BC govt is spending money it doesn't have to put a new rook on BC place, while robbing areas that need it way more. Very often stadiums become white elephants, and this one in Quebec doesn't even have the commitment of a major team to back it up.