Bronfman meets Montreal mayor hoping for Major League Baseball return to city

MONTREAL -

There was a meeting Tuesday between Stephen Bronfman and Mayor Valerie Plante about the ongoing saga of Major League Baseball returning to Montreal.

Bronfman heads a group that is working on a play to get the Tampa Bay Rays to play half of their games in Quebec.

“We’re going to have a 'no' or a 'go' soon enough, hopefully a 'go,' and we’ll be able to show everything," said Bronfman. "We’ve all decided transparency is so important, and peeling the onion all the way down to its core, and we’ll have no hidden things in the closet.”

He said there may be a news conference after the holidays unveiling his group's plan, adding that the mayor was receptive to his idea.

The idea of having the Rays share home fields picked up steam in this year's playoffs when president Matt Silverman said a sign would be installed on the Tampa Bay outfield with both cities featured, though the owner Stu Sternberg backtracked on the notion after criticism from fans.

Canadian Taxpayers Federation Quebec director Renaud Brossard issued a news release Tuesday objecting to the possibility that Bronfman's group may ask for taxpayer-funded subsidies from the province.

“Especially when looking at the state of our health-care system and the fact Quebecers are already the most heavily taxed people on the continent,” said Brossard. 

-- with reporting from CTV News Montreal reporter Billy Shields.