Both new Stadiums in Regina and Winnipeg will be over 200 million. Both have taken out loans of 100 million. The city of Regina is on the hook for the loan and tax payers will have to live with higher taxes, Sask Fans will have to pay a $12.00 facility fee to help pay back some of the loan. They presently pay a $8.00 facility fee. It is estimated it will take 30 years to pay back the loan.
In Winnipeg the team has taken the loan out and the fans will also pay a huge facility fee. The interest alone on 100 million makes it impossible to make any money the first 25 years.
The league is looking good with all these new Stadiums, Hamilton, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Regina.
It is just McMahon Stadium that needs to be upgraded and the league is great Stadsium wise.
It is great that these Communities are really putting out for our league.
For sure. One of the key aspects of the new stadiums and major reno's in others like Montreal is that it is showing Canadians, younger Canadians especially, that there is more to this country than hockey as a way to be actively engaged in sports. Hockey is great and arenas, I love skating and enjoyed playing hockey from a youngster right up almost every year until I was a bit over 50. But the field sports like soccer and football also are great sports to be involved in and don't require people to have to learn to skate. Skating and the hockey culture are just not for everyone and I understand that. That wasn't a part of my youth, everyone who I hung around skated and played at least house league hockey. But that was just my experience. I think the field sports have a lot to offer and the beauty of football and soccer is they share the same basic field. Baseball is also excellent as well of course.
And cities like Hamilton and Regina (or anywhere in Saskatchewan) are unlikely to ever have an NHL team so I think it's great we can have a pro league like the CFL (any CBL as well or any pro league that we as Canadians can control) for Canada to operate and control.
These stadiums are community assets and used by amateur and school groups as well, which is excellent.