Montrealers won't pay for an Expos stadium - at least according to new Florida billboard
There may be a lot of baseball fans in Quebec pining for the sport to return to Montreal, but you wouldn't know it if you were coming out of the Tropicana Stadium in Tampa Bay.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) made their views on the issue known Monday in the form of a large outdoor billboard outside the Florida venue that claims Canadian taxpayers don’t want to foot the bill for a new stadium in Montreal.
There's been a lot of buzz around the idea that the Florida team could play part of their season in Montreal. The CTF says no way.
“If the Rays want to come and play baseball in Montreal, they are more than welcome to do so," said Renaud Brossard of the CTF.
"We might even buy tickets to come see them. But if they want us to pay for their new stadium, that’s a big no-no."
Montreal hasn’t had it’s own team in 20 years, since the Expos moved to Washington, D.C.
But moving a team back into the city would likely mean a new stadium that would come with a high price tag.
“It is not taxpayers’ responsibility to pay for a new ballpark for millionaire and billionaire sports team owners, said Brossard.
Others who are dreaming of baseball’s big return, however, suggest the federation is grandstanding, before they even have all the facts.
“The billboard situation in Tampa Bay is nonsense," said the founder of ExposNation, Matthew Ross.
"They’re saying they don’t want to spend money on anything in Montreal relating to baseball, but they haven’t seen plans, they haven’t seen a budget. They don’t even know what the ask is."
Still, the idea of a stadium has been kicking around for years. A group of Montreal business people that includes Stephen Bronfman has been lobbying for a new venue to be built near the Peel basin.
The province has said it’s too soon to know how it could be financed and that it’s still under discussion.
And the Tampa Bay Rays aren’t going anywhere soon. The lease the team holds on the Tropicana Stadium is good for another six years and it’s unlikely it would move to another field before then.
Nonetheless, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says it’s important to have a say in the debate now so that the population can give some thought to the value of “spending a couple of hundred million bucks on a ballpark.”
“We have crumbling road infrastructure, both in Montreal and in the province of Quebec, our healthcare system is struggling," said Brossard.
"Those are all things where the government could invest some money."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.