Seems like a huge conflict of interest to have tax payer money donated to a senators private business.
Only if he voted for it in the Senate. He likely would have abstained in order to avoid any conflict of interest.
Game revenue is reported at 17 million
HST collected 2.21 million (Sales of taxable goods)
HST credit .65 million (Paid on purchases)
HST payment 1.56 million (Payment to CRA owed by Argos)
HST Credit is based on 5 million in claimable expenses incurred by the Argos in hosting this game.
17 million is only the game; they are reporting 100 million was spent in Toronto over the week and this does not included monies spent during the train tour for months across Canada.
Now we can add income taxes, profits spent by companies beyond Grey Cup week. Corp. taxes to be paid and so on and so on.
The Government also made a tidy profit on their investment and that’s why they do such things.
Simply if there was not a CFL or a Grey Cup game these monies would not be made.
I'm sure no one will complain if there is any spillover effect of marketing from the 100th for the 101st, 102nd etc. in their city of which a certain portion of profits do go back in the city in direct and indirect (restaurants, hotels etc) ways. Me probably thinks not. 
They sell tickets, sell sponsorships and haven’t been about amateur athletics since they allowed professionals – like all those basketball, hockey and soccer players (and formerly baseball players) – to participate in events. Giving money to fund the Olympics, not the athletes, but the games themselves, is about promoting Canadiana. The 100th Grey Cup was a big deal and was also about promoting Canadiana. If supporting one with public money is OK, so is the other.
^^^ The 2012 Canadian Olympic team had 281 members, the vast majority of which were no doubt amateur.
And when the Grey Cup travels on train across Canada, to remote regions, I don't think that boosting Braley's bottom line, it's boosting Canadian heritage.
Both have elements of public and private interests and are deserving of some public support. How much to allocate to each? I'll leave that for others more qualified than myself to decide.
How much government money (taxpayers dollars) goes into so-called “cultural” events. I find it funny that governments throw millions at cultural things like Ballet, Orchestras, National Arts Centre etc. Yet if you have ever been to the ballet or an orchestra or Opera it’s people in the upper echelons of society that attend these things. The people that could very well pay their own way for these “cultural” events are having them subsidized by the taxpayers. It is also the politicians that make the decisions to spend money for “culture” are more than likely to attend these things.
If you go to a Tiger Cat game the vast majority are blue collar workers spending their hard earned money. How many blue collar workers actually attend a ballet or opera or a philharmonic?
I would say that the CFL and football are “culture” to the working classes.
Hold on a second here folks, those who say the optics do not look good!
Why?
We heard the estimate from the City of Toronto how the economic impact of the week long festivities will be in excess of $100M.
So explain to me how the government, ok us taxpayers, should not invest something in this the only Canadiana left in our country which is quickly selling out our heritage, when the Grey Cup is such a financial hit to the city and province in question.
In fact, I would go as far as to say the government, ok us taxpayers, should pony up every year especially when the return on investment is humongous.
Enough said.
I don’t know where they ever came up with an economic impact of $100 Million! If the Grey Cup attracted 30,000 out of towners that would translate to each fan spending over $3,000 each?? It is likely that out of towners are couples or families that share a hotel room, maybe 8,000 or 10,000 hotel rooms an average of 2 nights, food and drink for 2 or 3 nights?
I would estimate closer to $10 million spent locally. I suppose in a small way it makes up for the financial loss to the local economy with the lack of Maple Leafs games.
I should imagine the Bills game in December will also bring in a lot of money too which will be good for Toronto. Their ticket prices roughly match the Grey Cup and they won’t be paying out the big bucks for Justin Bieber and that expensive half time show.
But of course we know that many of those tickets have been discounted big time but nevertheless, if they can get the out of towners to stay over for the Bills-in-Toronto "festivities" for a few days, good on the organizers.
...the core of the issue remains...the CFL and the Grey Cup host club are both "for profit" entities. The goverment agencies that provided the funds should explain why these contributions were made, how they were spent and what benefits accrued back to the public and the related goverment agencies as a result.
As a matter of public interest, there has to be full and proper accounting.
It has been reported that this event has always made a profit for both league and host club, so why the need for public funding? Ok its the 100th Grey Cup - fine. They ran a Grey Cup train across the country - great, I'm with you - love the idea. Someone's ball parked that at $3M - ok good. What about the other $6.5M?
As I said before the optics as they sit, in the absence of any proper accouting are not good with the both the league and host club benefitting with appreciably higher than normal profits from an event that received a substantial publicly funded subsidy.
And I would demand nothing less from the far more lush and way more expensive Olympic Games held in Canada over the years, if I was so interested, which I'm not particularly although reading the article above I posted where we are talking billions of taxpayers money, perhaps I should be.
Can’t argue with that, at all. Not only reasonable, but as government, they’re obligated to be accountable.
There is no doubt in my mind that there was a huge impact from the Grey Cup. A large number of fans came in on Thursday night, stayed until Monday morning (four days/nights of food and lodging), attended the team parties and the paid concert events, and were paying over $200/night for hotel rooms in addition to food, bevvies, more bevvies, and swag. Every merchandise outlet at the Dome was completely sold out by the end of the night (many were picked over and awaiting more stock before kickoff) and restaurants and bars were packed.
Tickets were three to four times as expensive as comparable Bills tickets (if you don’t believe me, look it up like I did), and the Biebs and his buddies in the halftime show all played for free. Only Gordon Lightfoot insisted on being paid for his performance (and rightly so…)
Players’ salaries don’t.
First your jumping the gun. Let’s say the revenues from the GC were 17 million has stated. Braley has to buy the GC from the CFL and I think that is around 4.5 million, Cohon said the league used 3 million for the train an other things so we are up to 7.5 Million, then Braley had to pay all the expenses , Commitee, Rogers Centre for a week, Bieber and other acts, Production of the half time show, advertizing for the game. Winnings for both teams… All that is probably around 3.5 million so we are now at 11 million dollars, leaving six million of which the previous owners who wanted their cut before agreeing to sell the team to Braley ahead of the 100th. Grey Cup.
People should wait for facts before trying to make Braley look like a crook, he deserves the benefit of doubt if anyone does.
Jumping the gun?
Braley has to buy the GC from the CFL and I think that is around 4.5 million,$4.5m? From where did you get that number? Article says it was about $2m in 2009
Cohon said the league used 3 million for the trainNo, he didn't. At least not in the article.
then Braley had to pay all the expenses , Commitee, Rogers Centre for a week, Bieber and other acts, Production of the half time show, advertizing for the game. Winnings for both teams...Again, no he didn't according to the article.
leaving six million of which the previous owners who wanted their cut before agreeing to sell the team to Braley ahead of the 100th. Grey Cup.What cut was that?
People should wait for facts before trying to make Braley look like a crook, he deserves the benefit of doubt if anyone does.Yes, facts are good.
Yup, offseason is here.
There were/are and always be jealous persons.
I am extremely happy for Mr.Braley. He deserves/is entitled to each profit dollar that was generated.
That's all I have to say.
Richard
I hope Mr. Braley makes as much as possible, $15M-$20M in profit.
This guy has sunk his money for many years and is like no one else is personally responsible for keeping the league alive during the dire years of 1990's.
Involving life preservers for at least the Cats, Argos and Lions.
Who knows there are other teams also, Ottawa and the Stamps for a while?