City putting $200,000 toward Grey Cup in Hamilton

Whether the Ticats win or lose, local taxpayers will have a $200,000 stake in the Grey Cup, back in Hamilton for the first time in 25 years.

That's the city's contribution to the 108th CFL championship against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Tim Hortons Field on Sunday.

The $200,000 is made up of in-kind services such as HSR shuttles and waived road closure fees and permits, the city said Thursday.

It also covers preparing the stadium and security for the game as well as city operations and staffing.

I think we're getting a tremendous bargain and a great party, so that's a good-news story," Coun. John-Paul Danko said.

But what the city was prepared to contribute to the Grey Cup should have been disclosed before local officials agreed to host the game, Danko says.

That's the point where it should be made public ... because we're being open and transparent."

In turn, there can be a public discussion about whether the potential costs are worth the return on investment, he says.

The Mountain councillor is among a minority of local elected officials who have pushed for that preagreement disclosure.

In late October, Danko and councillors Maureen Wilson and Nrinder Nann were the objectors in a 9-3 vote that kept a closed-session staff update on the Grey Cup confidential.

City staff later told The Spectator announcing the council-approved upset limit" before a deal is inked before talks wrap up would put the city in a weak negotiation position with event organizers and other potential funding partners."

Mayor Fred Eisenberger also said confidentiality allows the city to maintain a competitive edge against others in the bidding process, while ensuring equal opportunity when entering future negotiations."

Last week at Tim Hortons Field, the provincial government announced $1.5 million for this Sunday's event and the same amount for 2023's game, which Hamilton will also host.

The championship will not only put millions of eyes on Hamilton through its broadcast, but also draw fans to the city, Eisenberger said during the press conference.

That means people with dollars to spend come into our town and spend those dollars in facilities and restaurants and bars and some of the entertainment events that are happening throughout our city."

The championship usually costs between $10 million and $12 million to stage, said Duane Vienneau, the CFL's chief Grey Cup and events manager.

The private sector is contributing $100,000 to this Sunday's event and Hamilton Halton Brant Regional Tourism Association is kicking in $10,000.

The Winnipeg-Hamilton showdown sold out, but the Ticats issued an additional 500 standing-room tickets.

It's a scaled-back version of the regular event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, it was cancelled altogether.

As in this year's lead-up, the city's contributions toward the 2023 game, which is expected to return to its regular scope, will be secret during talks.

The potential figure is already known, Danko says. The number's different, but it's the exact same situation."

Teviah Moro is a reporter at The Spectator. tmoro@thespec.com