Mayor asks OSEG to keep teams in Ottawa another 10 years

Mayor Jim Watson wants a guarantee that the Ottawa Redblacks and 67'skeep playing at Lansdowne Park's TD Place until 2032, according to an open letter he wrote to the business group that owns the teams.

Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG)runs thecommercial sector at Lansdowne and owns some of the sports teams that play there. In its 30-year dealwith the city, OSEGhad promised to keep the teams at the stadium until 2022.

• OSEG could bail on Lansdowne Park partnership without city help
• Councillors troubled by Lansdowne report

But last month, OSEG which had been struggling to get enough foot traffic to Lansdowneand lost $11 million last year said it needed help from the city, as the COVID-19 pandemic had decimated its revenue stream. The grouphas asked the city to extend the partnership for an additional 10 yearsto 2054, in order to give OSEG more time to recoup some of its losses.

After a nine-hour discussion on Nov. 13, members of the finance and economic development committee approved the changes to the partnership, but the contentious issueis set to go to full council next Wednesday.

Among the many speakers at the meeting, representatives of the Glebe Community Association and other public delegates expressed concern about what would happen ifthe sports teams, which attracted thousands on game days in pre-COVID-19 times, no longer played at Lansdowne.

Watson's letter, which he wrote with Coun. Mathieu Fleury in his role as sports commissioner, asks for a response from OSEG by theDec. 9 council meeting.

No one from OSEG was immediately available for comment.

Menard drafted his own motion

Coun. Shawn Menard, in whose ward LansdownePark is situated, called out the mayor on social media for taking credit for his work. Menard said he had written several motions about the Lansdowne situation for council next week, including one to keep the teams in Ottawa.

The draft motion, which CBC has seen, calls for any proposedchangesto the Lansdowne partnership to "include an agreement by all parties to add an additional ten years to the guarantee that the Ottawa REDBLACKS and Ottawa 67's would remain in Ottawa until after 2030, and ensuring that Ottawa residents will be able to continue cheering on these beloved teams."

Menard said heshared the draft motion with several other councillorsin a briefing, andgave it to the clerk's office to distribute to "relevant parties, staff and OSEG."

However, the mayor saidthat he'd been"working closely with OSEG on this issue" since the committee meeting and neither he nor Fleury had been made aware of the motion by Menard.

Watson said in an email that he is pleased that Coun.Menard supports askingOSEG to commit to fielding the Redblacks and the Ottawa 67s for an additional 10 years a move intended to ensure the long-term success of the Lansdowne Park Partnership.

"Further, the letter to OSEG, aimed at clarifying OSEG's position, in no way precludes the ward councillor from bringing a motion to Council on this matter."