What Can The Government Do For The Whitecaps?

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Among swirling rumors surrounding the Vancouver Whitecaps and their potential move to another city, Vancouver’s mayor Ken Sim has weighed in on the situation. Earlier today he released a message on social media regarding the potential move of the team, as well as the #SAVETHECAPS movement.

In his tweet, he was not timid, or fearful. Instead he was fired up and forceful with his tweet. Within the tweet he made quite a few points. He mentioned that the club has been a part of Vancouver since 1974, and called it a part of the foundation of Vancouver’s identity.

He also called for the transparency of the ownership group. He wants them to clearly state what they want so that they are in the city moving forward. This is especially interesting considering that the ownership group made their statement yesterday saying that they had fielded over 100 offers from local buyers, but not elaborated beyond that.

He also called for the Province and team to sign a bridge deal. This is especially interesting because BC Place is owned through a crown corporation currently, and would have the power to do so. This would allow for a stabilizing financial situation to be found while a permanent solution is found.

Lastly, the city’s mayor also mentioned that there is already what he calls prime space available for the team at Hastings Park for a new stadium, as well as financial district. With the last point he basically put the ball back into the court of the ownership and province to figure things out.

In terms of what the province could do for the team, they have already restricted what they are willing to do. Currently the Jobs Minster Ravi Kahlon stated that the province would not buy the team, so that option is already off the board.

The best band-aid fix that is open to them while a new soccer-specific stadium is being built would be to give them Primary Tenant Status at BC Place, as well as a better lease for BC Place.

This would mean that they would be able to install permanent branding at the stadium instead of temporary branding that comes down after each game, as well as giving the Whitecaps higher percentage of profits from food, beverage and sponsor income. Currently those sources of income are controlled by PavCo, the crown corporation that owns BC Place.

Will this be enough to spur more conversations with the province, and keep the team in the city? Hopefully, but with situations like what they are now, it is hard to say for sure.