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Home : Canada : Duceppe wants PM to help Que. land new NHL team

Duceppe wants PM to help Que. land new NHL team

Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe listens to a question from media following Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Monday March 22, 2010. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN)
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe listens to a question from media following Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Monday March 22, 2010. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN)

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Date: Thursday Aug. 26, 2010 6:57 AM ET

QUEBEC — Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe is urging Prime Minister Stephen Harper to commit personally to helping Quebec City build a new hockey arena.

Duceppe said Wednesday a new arena is crucial if the provincial capital is to have any chance of landing another National Hockey League team.

The Bloc leader also said a spanking new building would boost Quebec City's chances of playing host to the 2022 Winter Olympics.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was asked Wednesday about the possibility of the league returning to Quebec City and replied he wouldn't even begin to think about it unless there was a new arena.

Bettman made the comment during a question-and-answer session at the world hockey summit in Toronto.

Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume has been pushing all three ventures -- the building, the team and the Olympics -- in the last few months.

A new building would cost an estimated $400 million.

The city has been without an NHL team since the Nordiques left in 1995 to become the Colorado Avalanche.

Comments are now closed for this story

Jim,Vancouver
said
0 0

Did Duceppe have his tongue planted firmly in his cheek when he made this request?Probably not...why should he?Everytime Quebec screams poverty/injustice/neglect,or that they have been 'insulted'....perish the thought.....Ottawa immediately dispatches the money wagon.If Quebec City wants an arena they should pay for it themselves....but we all know that won't happen!


Citizen
said
0 0

How is it in ANY way the responsibility of the FEDERAL government to build a hockey rink for Quebec City. It is a municipal and maybe a provincial issue. While I am sure the Prime Minister would love to given his well known love of hockey, he has a country to run, only the Bloc can spend time on an issue like this.


Jeff24
said
0 0

So it is alright for Duceppe to ask for Government money to build an NHL arena, but heaven forbid if a CFL franchise should ask for the same thing. A new year round stadium in Regina was estimated to cost around $400 million. Nice double standard Duceppe


Doug # BC
said
0 0

You have got to be kidding me! Given the performance of Duceppe in Parliament I can barely understand how he got up the nerve to even ask.This guy reminds me of past Liberal MP's who called the president of the USA a moron one day,then asked for favours in trade or defense the very next day. Nasty to the core most of the time,and a huge suck up when he wants something. I will say that I would love to see a team in Quebec.I was sorry to see the Nodiques leave when they did.And I would agree that the PM might speak positively on this issue.But the way Duceppe puts it,it sounds a lot more like black mail than anything remotely resembling a spirit of cooperation. Quebec is the highest taxeed province in the nation.They get equalization every year.And still they need other provinces to build them a hockey arena? That sounds a lot like the welfare family next door.they spent all their money on vacations and fancy toys,and are now asking for more welfare because they can't afford food. Harper should be fair.If there are stimulus dollars or infrastructure funds they might be entitled to,by all means,Harper should grease the bureaucratic wheels.After all,they helped BC built transit and other infrastructure.Quebec should be treated equally,but certainly not be entitled to more than anyone else. Besides,what is Duceppe willing to put on the table in trade.Perhaps the bill that virtually eliminates all judges from western Canada as SCOC nominess would be a good start.That is a BLOC sellout of the west.Not exactly a good way to build a nation or solicit favours from the feds.


peter in MB
said
0 0

And just what is the PM going to do? The NHL puts teams into citys where the team will do well. And Winnipeg is next on the list.


Dean in Abby
said
0 0

Duceppe should stay out of Canadian politics. He only wants Canada to pay for everything so he and his band of treasonous jerks can continue to get a free ride. Quebec should get off of it and behave properly or get out. No way should my tax money help out to get a team for Quebec. The Canadian gov't doesn't pay for any other team so keep the gov't out of it.


Dennis R
said
0 0

Dean for one thing Newfoundlanders are not trying to tear Canada apart.

For another thing it was Ottawa that forced Newfoundland to stop fishing Cod and other types of fish causing the fisheries to close and thousands upon thousands of newfoundlanders out of their work/jobs and onto the dole.

As for Quebec and their request for a new arena the simple answer is NO WAY should this Government or any future Government give anything to this bunch of Seperatists and Anarchists wjth the exception of funding our courts to chage them with theorisits acts againt Canada!!


Jim in the West
said
0 0

I would be willing to commit my tax dollars to the plan if and only Mr Duceppe acknowledged publiclly that he NEEDED Canada's help to make the new arena, the NHL team, and the Olympics work. If he's prepared to ask fo the help, than he should be prepared to respect it if given.


GaryT
said
0 0

Either you are in or out Gilles. Why should the Canadain government fund a project being requested by separatists? Yes I am aware the mayor and premier are also asking but at least they are for the unity of the country.Take a hike Gilles!


Tim from Calgary
said
0 0

Maybe equalization money from Alberta's 'dirty oil' can help pay for Quebec's new arena. After all, equalization from other provinces pays for Quebec's social experiments, doesn't it?


Mike
said
0 0

Take your $8 billion in equalization and pay for the rink. Or maybe levy a $1 surcharge on your $7/day daycare (brought to you by the taxpayers of Alberta).


trunorth
said
0 0

Mais qui! And they can name the arena Le Gilles Duceppe Palais and the team Les Separatistes!


bikerborz
said
0 0

Since when should the Federal Government get involved in the NHL?? Is Quebec going to give Ottawa the income from the games? This request is 'way out of line, and just goes to show the stupidity of PQ politics/politicians. Let the individual investors in Quebec finance this team that they seem to so desperately want!


Scratch my Back ....
said
0 0

Harper will need the Bloc Votes to survive the next session of Parliament.........


NorthernPrincess
said
0 0

M. Duceppe ... there are more important things for the PM to do than to get involved in something that you and your cronies will gloat about later. If you want something, get it done out of your province's tax system, but first, pay off your national debt to Canada.Besides, you guys had the Olympics in Montreal and quebecers paid for it for years afterwards. Wake up and concentrate on the important things in Canada first.


Pugfire
said
0 0

Another NHL team in "CANADA", a good deal.Building an arena in an area that wants to separate with federal funds, not such a good deal.Separatists asking for federal help for this, PRICELESS


Chris in Kingston
said
0 0

You want an arena? Build it yourself. Its called an investment. Unless of course Duceppe is willing to give the federal government a controlling interest in the team and share of profits because they paid for the arena.


rmsbl4
said
0 0

I was going to make a comment but all the earlier comments covered just about everything I wanted to say except, Quebec why don't you get out of Canada and see how long you would last as an independent country. You would last about as long as an icecream cone in 50* heat spell.


One-Country
said
0 0

Tax payer money for an arena in Quebec? Sure, in return for an iron clad agreement complete with relevant signatures stating that separatists will leave this country and take their flag with them. No loyalty to the Canadian flag = No money for hockey. Period. Not in the 1st, 2nd 3rd and not in any OT periods.


lc
said
0 0

I am all for more Canadian teams.The era of Bettman USA pandering got old long ago for those with a passion for the game.However cities that have failed to support a team in the past should not be top choice.The last thing we need is another Canadian failed franchise to allow some to continue sunbelt NHL.The Golden horseshoe is a no brainier.


Dwparsnip
said
0 0

Hilarity!!!! So, representatives of Quebec want the Feds to spend money and focus their efforts (which costs money) to land an NHL team, while the province writes a letter to the Feds objecting to them giving funding to NS and NL for an underwater power cable?So funny!


KCB
said
0 0

A separatist leader asking for federal money,not shocking. Gilles wants more and more just like the Equalization for the "have not" province,who recieves the most...Quebec.In 2010 out of a 14.4 billion pot Quebec recieved 8.6 billion! But Gilles still wants more.Go away.


Dean
said
0 0

Well if Ottawa can blow 130 million to bail out Newfoundland once again, why not waste the same amount in Quebec as well?Or any other province for that matter?


Drew from T.O
said
0 0

Ya right! They cant support a team there.Olympic's in Qubec again??? Ya right in a cold day in hell. NO WAY DOES QUEBEC DESERVE THE OLYMPICS let alone another hockey team!


Paul
said
0 0

I think the PM should land a team in Quebec....and then after an NHL referendum, let it separate to Winnipeg!


Paul ~ Kitchener
said
0 0

Now if this isn't the cat's bottom.Why in the name of heaven, would our Prime Minister want to consider such spending, of tax payers dollars, to help build an "ARENA for the NHL" ????We have immediate needs to support health care, education,seniors pensions, veterans affairs etc.Let the NHL build their own Arena's they have the millions to spend on players spend some on your own Ice Rinks !If our Prime Minister ever considers listening to this Seperatist Anarchist, (he will take all the glory to suck up votes for his treason within Quebec), he won't even get his wife's vote in another federal election.This is ludicrous at best.Let the NHL, and all other sports groups, fund themselves, and let the taxpayers money go to support, and build up, our Nation and its people.


Condoguy
said
0 0

He wants the Prime Minister to get involved? Where would he get the money if Quebec were a soverign country? There wouldn't be a Prime Minister to go to for money. Seems like he wants the best of both worlds.


Wayne in HRM
said
0 0

I always loved the Nords. Always hated government interference in the free market.


DON
said
0 0

Ya right we really need to have more tax payers money wasted.Only if the PM pays for it out of his own pocket.


Michael
said
0 0

Quebec keeps sending Bloc Quebecois to Ottawa, let them figure it out and stop looking to the rest of Canada to pay for the separatists pipe dreams. Maybe Gilles Duceppe and his team of treasonous MP's can hold a bake sale to raise some funds.


A doctor, not a mere physician
said
0 0

Say what you want about pandering to Quebec, etc; however, I think an NHL Team in Quebec City would be nothing but good news for the league. And if it helps to bring the Winter Olympics back to Canada in 12 years, that too would be good news for the country.


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