Bombers need a better stadium game plan

A new stadium is not the answer

Joel Trenaman

By now, most football fans know the proposal: David Asper seeks to take control of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and spearhead the construction of a $120-million stadium next to its current site, in conjunction with a $25-million retail development and contingent on $40 million each from the provincial and federal governments. This past June, the Bombers board chose Asper’s proposal over at least two others.

The idea of a new stadium for the Bombers seems great: fans could benefit from more comfortable seating and shorter lineups for washrooms and concessions. Yet the costs of the proposed deal far outweigh the benefits.

It’s not broken, don’t fix it

The Bombers have been a community-owned football team since their inception in 1930. In 1952 the province created the Winnipeg Enterprises Corporation (WEC), a non-profit organization that built the stadium using public dollars. The arrangement benefited the Bombers for decades. In 2004, WEC transferred the control of the renamed Canad Inns Stadium to the Winnipeg Football Club board of directors, allowing the team more control over its revenue sources. This move, along with the capable management of CEO Lyle Bauer and increased league revenues, has put the Bombers on solid financial ground. Now is the time for the team to develop its own commercial opportunities.

There have been bumps along the way as the CFL itself rises and falls, but the ownership structure has worked for 77 years. Although Asper has done a lot for the Bombers in his time, there’s no reason to believe that private ownership will improve the team’s situation. The league has a seen a carousel of unpredictable, fickle, and incompetent private owners (especially in Toronto and Ottawa), while the best-managed and most stable teams have been the Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders, which have structures similar to the Bombers. It’s more than coincidence that these teams also enjoy the most consistent fan support.

Winnipeggers, Manitobans and Canadians would be paying $80 million for the giveaway of “our” football team; the chance for Asper to pay only one-third of the cost of a marginally better stadium that he would get to 100 per cent own and operate; and the relinquishing of some of the highest-valued retail property in the city, virtually guaranteeing continual profit-making?

Even Lyle Bauer seems to have his doubts about a change, expressed in remarks to the Calgary Herald in September: “This is no knock on private ownership, none whatsoever, but if you look back, you’ll see there are three teams that have been there through thick and thin, through every franchise that has changed hands, where owners have walked away, teams that have been bailed out . . . that’s Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, and Edmonton.”

‘The House That Jack Built’

No one is going to say that Canad Inns Stadium is a premier facility. Yet neither is it the broken-down relic that some make it out to be. We’re talking about a building that is used by the Bombers for 10 or 11 home games per year and the occasional Grey Cup, as well as playing host to the odd concert or other event. It is not a multi-use venue along the lines of the MTS Centre. Even with a new 35,000-seat stadium, Winnipeg is still too small of a city for most stadium rock tours that expect to sell 50,000 tickets.

The improvements made for the 1999 Pan Am Games to washrooms, dressing rooms, lower deck seating, capacity, video screen, and press boxes made a vast difference for fan enjoyment. For Asper to say that more renovations won’t help matters ignores how much difference can be made with a few million dollars of additional changes.

Ticket and concession price jumps tend to be part and parcel of new facilities, and Asper has admitted that the 1,400 current parking spots would be reduced to 800 or 1,000. Is that fan-friendly? Besides, fans don’t seem to be staying away right now because they think the stadium is unfit; Winnipeggers don’t really fall for the glitz and glamour factor, they want to see good football.

Like it or not, the current stadium is sufficient for the team and city’s needs.

The quagmire of government subsidy

Randy Turner wrote a column in last week’s Winnipeg Free Press disparaging Vic Toews for the MP’s statements that Manitobans had to choose between money for a stadium or for clean drinking water. Political grandstanding aside, Toews has a point. If the federal infrastructure dollars are going to flow, there are many projects that should rank ahead of a new stadium, not the least of which would be the aforementioned water treatment or perhaps sewer system upgrades to stop Winnipeg’s raw sewage heading directly for sickly Lake Winnipeg.

The plan is not a public-private partnership as touted by Premier Gary Doer. It’s public funding of what would become a profitable private business, a la the MTS Centre. The arena is often considered a success, but where is the promised downtown revitalization? Portage Ave. is as dead as ever and politicians have moved on to calling the Manitoba Hydro building the next great hope. Although the development deal has turned out better than many thought it would, taxpayers still wrote a cheque so that the arena owners can make a lot of money.

Asper argues that GST and PST revenues will repay the governments for their investments. That argument may have some merit concerning the construction costs, but people are not going to find millions in new money to shop at the Asper retail centre or buy thousands of additional football tickets — the money will just be redirected from other sources.

Game summary

Winnipeggers, Manitobans, and Canadians would be paying $80 million for the giveaway of “our” football team; the chance for Asper to pay only one-third of the cost of a marginally better stadium that he would get to 100 per cent own and operate; and the relinquishing of some of the highest-valued retail property in the city, virtually guaranteeing continual profit-making. That’s not a deal that makes sense for citizens or even Bomber fans.

Joel Trenaman is a local writer, Bomber supporter, and former editor of the Manitoban.





Volume 95 Issue 11	The Official University of Manitoba Students' Newspaper Website	October 31, 2007

Home About Us Advertising Rates Contact Staff Current Issue PDF Employment Letters to the Editor Meet the Staff Online Archives Volunteer Online Classifieds St. Vincent's Academy Diaries	Font Size Respond Email Print-Friendly Bombers need a better stadium game plan A new stadium is not the answer Joel Trenaman By now, most football fans know the proposal: David Asper seeks to take control of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and spearhead the construction of a $120-million stadium next to its current site, in conjunction with a $25-million retail development and contingent on $40 million each from the provincial and federal governments. This past June, the Bombers board chose Asper’s proposal over at least two others. The idea of a new stadium for the Bombers seems great: fans could benefit from more comfortable seating and shorter lineups for washrooms and concessions. Yet the costs of the proposed deal far outweigh the benefits. It’s not broken, don’t fix it The Bombers have been a community-owned football team since their inception in 1930. In 1952 the province created the Winnipeg Enterprises Corporation (WEC), a non-profit organization that built the stadium using public dollars. The arrangement benefited the Bombers for decades. In 2004, WEC transferred the control of the renamed Canad Inns Stadium to the Winnipeg Football Club board of directors, allowing the team more control over its revenue sources. This move, along with the capable management of CEO Lyle Bauer and increased league revenues, has put the Bombers on solid financial ground. Now is the time for the team to develop its own commercial opportunities. There have been bumps along the way as the CFL itself rises and falls, but the ownership structure has worked for 77 years. Although Asper has done a lot for the Bombers in his time, there’s no reason to believe that private ownership will improve the team’s situation. The league has a seen a carousel of unpredictable, fickle, and incompetent private owners (especially in Toronto and Ottawa), while the best-managed and most stable teams have been the Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders, which have structures similar to the Bombers. It’s more than coincidence that these teams also enjoy the most consistent fan support. Winnipeggers, Manitobans and Canadians would be paying $80 million for the giveaway of “our” football team; the chance for Asper to pay only one-third of the cost of a marginally better stadium that he would get to 100 per cent own and operate; and the relinquishing of some of the highest-valued retail property in the city, virtually guaranteeing continual profit-making? Even Lyle Bauer seems to have his doubts about a change, expressed in remarks to the Calgary Herald in September: “This is no knock on private ownership, none whatsoever, but if you look back, you’ll see there are three teams that have been there through thick and thin, through every franchise that has changed hands, where owners have walked away, teams that have been bailed out . . . that’s Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, and Edmonton.” ‘The House That Jack Built’ No one is going to say that Canad Inns Stadium is a premier facility. Yet neither is it the broken-down relic that some make it out to be. We’re talking about a building that is used by the Bombers for 10 or 11 home games per year and the occasional Grey Cup, as well as playing host to the odd concert or other event. It is not a multi-use venue along the lines of the MTS Centre. Even with a new 35,000-seat stadium, Winnipeg is still too small of a city for most stadium rock tours that expect to sell 50,000 tickets. The improvements made for the 1999 Pan Am Games to washrooms, dressing rooms, lower deck seating, capacity, video screen, and press boxes made a vast difference for fan enjoyment. For Asper to say that more renovations won’t help matters ignores how much difference can be made with a few million dollars of additional changes. Ticket and concession price jumps tend to be part and parcel of new facilities, and Asper has admitted that the 1,400 current parking spots would be reduced to 800 or 1,000. Is that fan-friendly? Besides, fans don’t seem to be staying away right now because they think the stadium is unfit; Winnipeggers don’t really fall for the glitz and glamour factor, they want to see good football. Like it or not, the current stadium is sufficient for the team and city’s needs. The quagmire of government subsidy Randy Turner wrote a column in last week’s Winnipeg Free Press disparaging Vic Toews for the MP’s statements that Manitobans had to choose between money for a stadium or for clean drinking water. Political grandstanding aside, Toews has a point. If the federal infrastructure dollars are going to flow, there are many projects that should rank ahead of a new stadium, not the least of which would be the aforementioned water treatment or perhaps sewer system upgrades to stop Winnipeg’s raw sewage heading directly for sickly Lake Winnipeg. The plan is not a public-private partnership as touted by Premier Gary Doer. It’s public funding of what would become a profitable private business, a la the MTS Centre. The arena is often considered a success, but where is the promised downtown revitalization? Portage Ave. is as dead as ever and politicians have moved on to calling the Manitoba Hydro building the next great hope. Although the development deal has turned out better than many thought it would, taxpayers still wrote a cheque so that the arena owners can make a lot of money. Asper argues that GST and PST revenues will repay the governments for their investments. That argument may have some merit concerning the construction costs, but people are not going to find millions in new money to shop at the Asper retail centre or buy thousands of additional football tickets — the money will just be redirected from other sources. Game summary Winnipeggers, Manitobans, and Canadians would be paying $80 million for the giveaway of “our” football team; the chance for Asper to pay only one-third of the cost of a marginally better stadium that he would get to 100 per cent own and operate; and the relinquishing of some of the highest-valued retail property in the city, virtually guaranteeing continual profit-making. That’s not a deal that makes sense for citizens or even Bomber fans. Joel Trenaman is a local writer, Bomber supporter, and former editor of the Manitoban.


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