New Stadium?
The Oilers Entertainment Group has been working with city officials and the Alberta government on a plan for a major sports and cultural upgrade in Edmonton
edmontonjournal.com
If the OEG is getting this involved with Commonwealth renovations then I assume that Katz's group will be the new owners--that's good. I've been saying all along that an arrangement like the Stamps and Flames have (under common ownership) has kept the Stamps alive for a long time and the same might now be said for the Elkimos who have a year left on the extinction clock.
Selling the EE club to people with limited resources means that the club could be in more financial trouble within a matter of months so go for very deep pockets and keep the team for another 20 years minimum.
I still don't understand why Commonwealth would be demolished when it is had $200M in upgrades since its inception and still looks beautiful compared to so many other stadiums in North America. It sounds like a new stadium is a political move as opposed to a practical one but I guess Edmonton is just as entitled to some sports dollars as is chief rival Calgary.
The City of Calgary had a $650M deal on the table for a new hockey rink before our ever popular and agreeable mayor managed to get a deal for 1.3B--funded by provincial taxpayers so I guess if provincial taxpayers are on the hook for that money then perhaps a new stadium in Edmonton should follow on its heels.
Keith Gerein going to bat for the Eskimos? For those who have forgotten Keith, he was pounding the drums for the name change on a daily basis along with fellow Pulitzer prize finalist Mongo Gerry. I see Post Media is selling a bunch of these newspapers in response to declining readership. Maybe these 2 guys can get jobs at the new stadium's concession booths.