The big unknown for Halifax’s Canadian Football League bid: Is a stadium viable?
HALIFAX — A group of professional sports executives quarterbacking a plan to bring a Canadian Football League team to Halifax is set to make an announcement Wednesday as it ramps up efforts to secure a conditional expansion franchise.
But the critical question — how to fund a new stadium — will likely remain unanswered.
“To make a pro sports franchise work you must have a place to play, it’s just that simple,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said recently, noting that the expansion team’s prospects hinge on a suitable stadium being built in Atlantic Canada’s largest city.
Critics call public subsidies for stadiums “sports welfare” for wealthy owners, with limited public benefits; supporters say it is money well spent to create jobs, boost the economy and generate civic pride.