Is The CFL's Atlantic Canada Dream DEAD?

Please do some research on a renovation to Wonderers Grounds. That makes the most sense as the property is paid for. Sharing with the new CPL team who draws 6500 plus fans already. To expand the stadium would be very inexpensive as far as stadiums go and could be used temporarily until the city feels its ready to be involved again.

The suggestion of a 12,000 seat stadium immediately destroys your credibility on this topic. There are places in the Region now that could accommodate a crowd that small. It would be too small to even host any other major athletic or entertainment events that would otherwise be possible to help support the structure. It would certainly take Halifax out of the running to host a Grey Cup game. I would suggest a minimum of 24k would be necessary. The real story going forward will be how Canada and the world in general comes through the Covid situation. We may never see a crowded stadium again. Only a fool would invest in one right now.

The other expansion city which makes a lot of sense in my opinion is Quebec City. Several reasons. One is that its a Football crazed city. University ball draws CFL numbers already. Sharing a Stadium would be similar to Montreal and most of all. The biggest reason to have a CFL team in Quebec city is to help out the biggest and most important League Sponsor , TSN/RDS. Who pay for the entire league player and coaches salaries. By awarding a franchise to Quebec city you give RDS another French team complete with more French viewers. So important to appease the number one sponsor you have. A sponsor who essentially is keeping the league a float.

CFL east to west true Canadian football league...

The CFL Atlantic dream is an induced comatose state. To save the patient from internal trauma, one must put the injured into a coma.
Place the Schooner team in Moncton New Brunswick for a few years until Halifax builds up enough capital to create a stadium. It can't be a cheap build up, it should a symbol of Maritime Pride. The stadium must be 30,000 seating capacity. Great analysis, Hussey

they are building a new hockey area

If I remember correctly, they said of the 9 CFL teams, 5 are profitable, 4 are operating at a loss and those 4 are losing more than the profitable teams are bringing in. The CFL as a whole is in danger. There's talk of them merging with the XFL owned by Dwayne Johnson, that exposure might help.

Move the argonauts

I wish The Rock would invest in bringing a team to Halifax instead of buying the shitty xfl. He could pay for the stadium and everything else. His father was from Nova Scotia so that's a natural connection.

If Halifax doesn’t wanna put in the effort to get a team then they should look at Moncton, NB.

1. The name Schooners is jinxed. It failed in '83 and it failed in '20.
2. Does not matter where the team plays, Dartmouth or Halifax. Name the team Barrett's Privateers. Third quarter of every home game, lead the crowd in Stan Roger's song. Just imagine 24,000 drunk fans shouting "goddam them all!"

I don't see why the temporary stadiums such as the one used by BC Lions couldn't be used for a few years in a place to gain a foothold before building a bigger stadium

tax payer money should never go to stadium it’s a waste let the owners build it

As a Manitoban who has lived in the Halifax area for over 10 years I can tell you this would have never happened and still won't. The younger generations in NS have no interest in the CFL, especially if their taxes have to help fund the stadium

The CFL is a cool football league with a great product. It's a league that does not have enough fans. MLS builds tons of 25,000 seat stadiums. Take that thought of a dual purpose MLS soccer/CFL venue were built then the benefits are apparent.

It's odd that Canada doesn't have a CFL team on the Atlantic Coast of the country.

If the CFL expands in my opinion Anchorage is the best option, and Quebec City. Rochester NY might be an option. An outside the box idea is Honolulu and Mississauga.

Quebec city makes better sense for an expansion team in the CFL.

It was never alive. Halifax is not a sports city. They continually reject any sports. St. John, New Brunswick is a far more viable spot.

If you look at Europe most if not all cities over a couple hundred thousand people have reasonable sized stadiums, some of the larger cities have multiple large stadiums. Canadian sports infrastructure is far behind that of most of the other western countries. Building a quality stadium in a city the size of Halifax should not even be a question. Having the ability of hosting large scale events, both sports and entertainment has benefits to the community. The Grey Cup week itself drives well over $10 million into the host city. Hosting other events such as the Canada Summer Games, or a large concert would also draw people to the city. Its a lost opportunity for Halifax. You only need to examine the much smaller city of Regina to realize that their stadium is a social and economic driver to the city and its people.

Hi. The viability of the CFL staying alive is still not certain SO bringing a team to a market with minimal corporate dollars, and too small a buying fanbase, the business doesn't work. The very existence of the CFL in 2022 and beyond is in question. If there was recurring money to be made in Atlantic Canada, they would have been there years ago my friend.

Late to the party- the proposed stadium was 24,000 not 12.

Do you think the league should consider the modular stadium option The Lions used in 2010/2011?

@rich gablehouse, @Robert Younker I don't know why they can't use Wanderers Grounds in Halifax just by adding more seating capacity; probably need to add 15,000 to the current 6,200. There seem to be empty spaces that could be utilized better if they wanted to do that.

There is also a lot of sports history to that place, over a century's worth. + a lot of people are moving there now post pandemic, younger people too. I'm originally from there but haven't been back for 15 years; the ingrained defeatist attitudes in the Maritimes need to change.

But have you factored in the average beer consumption in the Maritimes...

!F an XFL/CFL mutual merger is reached in da future; th!$ expansion plan can become reality with da XCFL tv deal will be $100M Per Year; ‘N Possibly More.

What is holding up this simple expansion, where is the Federal Gov. when you need it. I am from Montreal and i wholly support Halifax as the only choice for expansion, Lets get it ON....I will be the first person to buyseason tickets, seriously from Montreal.

The CFL needs to tell the political leaders of Halifax to pound salt. Establish a football team in Quebec City. Atlantic Canada is just not a football rich region.