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Taxpayers don’t want to foot the bill for baseball’s return to Montreal, FCC judges

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Quebec taxpayers do not intend to pay a penny to build a new baseball stadium in Montreal, judge the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (FCC) which put up an advertising poster conveying this message at Tropicana Field, where the Rays play. of Tampa Bay.

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“Dear Rays, Montreal will not pay for your new stadium. Sincerely, taxpayers, ”it says on the billboard.

The Rays are, after all, welcome in Montreal if they want to come and play, but taxpayers will not pay for their new stadium, said FCC Quebec director Renaud Brossard.

The management of the Florida team has been working on its shared custody plan with Montreal for some time, although no official announcement will be made until the municipal election on November 7.

Recall that the Baseball Montreal Group, led by businessman Stephen Bronfman, is staying the course on the sister city project with the Tampa Bay Rays and has not stopped working on its development with various architectural, tourism and economic development advisers.

However, this project suggests the construction of a new baseball stadium in the Bassin Peel area, a district of Montreal undergoing redevelopment.

“Quebec taxpayers cannot afford a new stadium for a part-time baseball team. […] The fact is that building a new baseball stadium is much lower on the priority list than repairing our roads, supporting our health care system and reducing the tax burden on families, ”continued Mr. Brossard.

Wishing to resume the post of mayor of Montreal that he escaped in favor of Valérie Plante in 2017, Denis Coderre reacted by means of a text message sent by his press attaché. According to him, the return of the major leagues in the Quebec metropolis should not come before other more sensitive issues currently in his eyes.

“We are not against the return of baseball to Montreal. However, between the post-pandemic economic recovery, security, climate change and the housing crisis, the return of baseball is not a priority for Montreal. We will leave it to the Rays organization to negotiate with investors and the government of Quebec, ”he told QMI Agency.

The candidate for the November 7 election issued similar statements in late September.

“People don’t want to hear about baseball, they don’t want to hear about whether we’re making a stadium or not, they don’t want speculation. They want to know if they can work tomorrow morning and if we can get by now, ”he said.

-With the collaboration of Félix Lacerte-Gauthier

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