Halifax Almost A Lock For CFL Franchise

TSN.ca reports that if Halifax lands the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the feds will throw in 450 million for things like a new stadium.

Thus it looks like the last peice of the puzzle for a CFL franchise in Halifax could be in place. This would make the CFL our only truly coast to coast national league.

If there is a football-loving God in heaven-and I truly believe there is-please oh please let this come to pass!

They announce the winner of the right to host the 2014 games in... fall/winter 2007 I believe...

If Halifax doesn't win it... we can look forward to another 10 years of expansion talk on this forum...

Ottawa in 2008... Halifax is announced as the host city of the Commonwealth games in Oct. 07 and work on a new stadium gets started in early '08... is CFL-ready in 09 or 10... voila- a 10 team CFL (and FINALLY the end of all the CFL expansion talk on this forum). Would be nice. But that's a best-case scenario so it won't happen.

JetsIn07... ever the pessimist.

I like the words 'almost' and 'if'. Not very impressive words really, sound a bit boring, but they do carry quite a bit of meaning I'd say. :wink:

man jet u just bug the s_ht outta everyone on this site. If and when halifax wins the bid they will get a stadium and we can fianlly make a bigger league which will benefit us all. the only thing i am looking at is the commisoner. Tom Wright was a great commsioner for the CFL in ymeyes and did a great job inproving the league. I just hope that the new commisioner wants the same things and expand to an area of canada where there is interest in football. And judging by the pre season gmaes out there it looks like they want a team.

November 9, 2007.

Therein lies the BIG problem for everyone. Tom Wright WAS a great commish. for sure! and THAT is the VERY reason the Board of Idiots got rid of him.

THEY want a hand puppet to do their bidding so they can meticulously undermine everything TW worked so hard AGAINST them for. You can bet that the new salary cap will last this season and be voted out for next.

I truly believe that they want to keep the CFL from growing and overtaking their true passion…the nfl!

Just MHO.

Actually guys, our best buddy Jet07 is right this time. If Halifax does not get the games then they will realistically not get a team.
I beleave that a city should get a team based on their merits not based on chance of something good happening.
Point being is that Halifax cant support a team without the games.
Bottom line I really hope that they do get the games, but feel a CFL team could fold in Halifax a couple years later.
Not being pessimistic, just realistic.

If Halifax doesn't get the games, then our next hope is the 2018 World Cup which Canada is bidding for!

Imagine all the beautiful stadiums that would be built for that! 2018 FIFA World Cup - Wikipedia

Thats my point TorontoIsMyHome, Halifax is relying on other events and instead of relying on their own merit.

Precisely, there is no political and business will in Halifax and apperently Nova Scotia.
So, the only possibility is to piggy back onto an event as the only chance.

It’s just relying on something to get a stadium built.

There are a lot of people in Halifax that want a stadium, and would support a team. The problem is our politicians.

OK, I’d like to throw another possibility out there for Canadian expansion.

There are many people on this site who have brought up expanding into some northern U.S. states…not too far over the border because they say that those americans understand Canadian culture better then other americans. This may be true,but how about taking that principal and expanding in Canada and still be able to garner american fanship.

Here is the example of which I speak.

Fredericton NB.

I suggest this because I assume there are probably many americans across the border in Maine who understand Canadian culture including Canadian Football and would probably be willing to head to Fredericton for games.

So…you’re keeping expansion inside Canada,but because of Fredericton’s location I think potentially more fans would access games then if it was in Halifax.

Just an idea.

To all those complaining about government money having to be used if a new stadium is to be built, when was the last time an outdoor stadium was built in this country without government help? Probably back in a time when taxes were much lower and rich philanthropists would build facilities which they would put their name on to get a legacy (like sometimes happens with colleges in the U.S.).

My point c-way-dude is that usually when a new stadium is build it is a combine effort of private and public money on the merit of the city for a sole purpose of the sport.
In this case football.
This is different in Halifax cause it is reaching out past their borders beyond their point of merit. The games are a Canada issue and will be supported by Canada.
The Stadium was not being build by the merit of the people and bussinesses in Halifax for football, but by the country for the games.
Yes some money from the city and private sponcers will be dumped into the stadium if they do get the games, but its secondary function will be football.
A good example is Canwest ParkStadium and the MTS center in Winnipeg.
It was build by both public and private money within Winnipeg. Yes the province chipped in a few bucks too.
The same applies to the new Winnipeg Football Stadium when they finally agree to the details.
Halifax can not afford to put together a package like that for a new stadium so I question if a team in Halifax can be supported even if the stadium was build.
As said befor, I want a team in Halifax really bad.

Hi Geo,
Ok Fredericton NB.
In past post I gave stats and specifics to why teams may or may not work in certain cities.
What are your stats.
I am a genuin interest in seeing what you come up with.
IE: Population, climate, fan support, economics, ect
I have never been to Fredericton NB. so your input my intrique me and others.

The problem with NS is that they don't have the money to build a stadium just for football. They've been a welfare province for way too long to build something that expensive without federal help.

Once the major expense of a stadium is covered, the minor expense of a football team won't be an issue anymore.

It's like winning a lottery home...you could never buy it, or afford the mortgage, but if you win it free and clear, you could afford to pay the property taxes & maintainance bills.

If this is the case -and I’m not suggesting it’s not; I simply don’t know enough about the economies of any specific reigon- and it turns out that Halifax does NOT get the games, the CFL should shift it’s focus to another city that is better set up to support professional football: QC, Windsor(?), or London(?)…the first time I ever heard about the possibility of a Halifax CFL expansion team was in 1981, I think…the league put, what, 5+ teams in another country first, fer cryin’ out loud!
The comment about the lottery house was appropriate for the situation; and once a facility is built for the games, it would seem obvious that Halifax would welcome a team, if for no other reason than to get some use out of their new thingy.