Moncton Wildcats to pay $250K less than pledged for Avenir Centre plaza
Moncton will get $250,000 less than first promised for the Avenir Centre plaza from the Moncton Wildcats hockey team.
The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League team, owned by one of New Brunswick's richest families, pledged $1 million toward the plaza beside the 8,800-seat arena downtown that opened in 2018.
"The plaza provides community with something unique and will provide the city with an advantage in being able to attract events of all sizes," team president Robert Irving said during a 2018 news conference.
"Given the significance of this plaza, the Moncton Wildcats are pleased to announce a sponsorship of $1 million."
Six years later, that's changed.
On Monday, Moncton city council voted to accept $250,000 less.
The motion passed unanimously without any discussion. The issue had previously been discussed in an April 8 private meeting, though because it was behind closed doors it's unclear what, if any, debate occurred.
People skating on the Ian Fowler Oval on Jan. 2, 2023, which is part of the Avenir Centre plaza. (Shane Magee/CBC)
A document provided to media about the motion says the municipality and team entered a 20-year sponsorship agreement in 2018 for the plaza. The document says the agreement called for the team to make annual payments of $50,000. It says "$800,000 remains outstanding."
"The City has agreed to a accept a lump sum payment of $550,000 to discharge the financial obligations of the agreement," the document states.
Instead, the document says, the city will invest some of the lump sum payment "to provide a return that will equal or exceed the $800,000 currently outstanding."
Isabelle LeBlanc, a city spokesperson, said in an email this week the municipality will benefit from less administrative work each year.
LeBlanc said it also "eliminates any future risk should the Moncton Wildcats cease to operate or be sold which could result in the remaining value of the sponsorship amount (for the plaza space) not being paid to the City."
Natasha Ostaff, the team's general manager of business operations, acknowledged a request for an interview Tuesday about the issue and said the request would be sent to the team's communications department. However, no interview or statement has been provided.
The city document about Monday's council motion goes on to say "Moncton Wildcats and the Irving organization have supported the community and the Avenir Centre since it opened in 2018."
The team was one of two main tenants for the $113-million Avenir Centre. The other was the Moncton Magic, a basketball team that later folded.
The Wildcats averaged more than 4,600 attendees per game in the 2023-24 season, according to league statistics. That's up from recent years, but below the pre-pandemic levels of more than 5,000 in the two seasons after the arena opened.
Campaign fell short
The team's $1 million contribution was part of the city's Our Urban Heart fundraising campaign, which aimed to raise $5 million.
The city spent more than $350,000 to hire Toronto-based Ketchum Canada Inc. to help raise the $5 million. However, the goal has never been met. In 2020, it was still more than $2 million shy of its goal.
LeBlanc this week said there was no further update on the fundraiser.
"Although the campaign is not currently active, we remain open to interested parties who may see value in naming assets in Downtown Place (plaza)," LeBlanc said.
In 2018, Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold was asked what would happen if the city didn't hit its fundraising goal. Arnold replied, "Oh, we will."
