Lowest jobless rate in the country

Highest CHL attendance

Highest U Sport attendance

Nordiques when they were there sold out almost every single game even in their worst years

The only thing that is missing is a 25,000-seat stadium. (Which I think is unlikely to get built BTW.)

Tim Hortons Field only had 7100 in 2016 and just over 10,000 the next year and no one suggests Hamilton should lose it's CFL team. Laval fans are rightfully spoiled by their team and maybe after so many times hosting it recently (6 out of 11 games), they aren't as interested in attending a game without their team involved. I don't think that reflects in any way whether QC could and would support a CFL team. I think they would be a better choice than Halifax honestly.

THF opened in 2014. The Labour Day game was the first event at the stadium that year, and some of the seating was not yet open to fans; just over 18k were watching. At season's end the full capacity was available (Wikipedia page shows the progression of game attendance; so does CFLdb)

Between 2015 and 2019 paid attendance has ranged between 23,000 and 24,000+
https://stats.cfldb.ca/team/hamilton...ts/attendance/

I know but I think he was talking about the Vanier Cup.

Vanier Cups in Quebec are basically a gamble that Laval will make it. I am not the least bit surprised that fans there wouldn't be interested in some other matchup.

Let's face it, the only way the Vanier draws well is when the host city is in it, or more to the point, when it's in the same place as the Grey Cup and tickets for both events are bundled together.

I think this is why Winnipeg has never hosted the Vanier... it would going all in on the Bisons making it, because otherwise there would probably only be 5,000 fans in the stands. Maybe a few more if one of the Sask teams made it, since that's a driveable distance.

At least in a place like Toronto or Hamilton it's close to a bunch of U Sports schools.

I was talking Vanier attendance since the point trying to be made was that QC might be able to host a CFL team because the Vanier attendance was down. Just trying to point out that one doesn't involve the other. It isn't a case of "if you don't draw well to every football game in your city, then you must not be a football city, therefore the highest level of football available to you wouldn't work there". Halifax is getting a team based basically on zero evidence.

The evidence is population and relative wealth... I mean, Vegas really only ever dabbled in minor league hockey before getting the Golden Knights, and look how it worked out.

If the Bisons were a consistently competitive team, they would no doubt host the game. It's been 12 years since they last appeared in a Vanier, and then 6 years before that. If Western had a suitable stadium, we would host it quite often based on the competitiveness of the team. Laval is a powerhouse and has a stadium. McMaster and Western are basically Ontario's Vanier teams, and THF is obviously the best facility in Ontario for these 2 teams to unofficially "host" at, since Rogers Centre is no longer a football stadium. It's been great the see the Vanier committee break the Toronto thing the last 15 years or so and taking the game to other areas of the country.

Then why Halifax over Quebec City? They picked Halifax based on the success of 3 games played in Moncton over 5 years ago, when Moncton thought they were in the running for a team.

Agree, if the only evidence for TFC was the Toronto Lynx then they wouldn't have an MLS team now

A couple of clear factors... there is already a team a fairly short distance away from Quebec so I'm sure there's some reluctance on that basis, and the other is that for some time Quebec has been focused on landing a NHL team. They just built an arena on spec, I'd be pretty surprised if they could find the money to build another large sports venue right away.

Yes, while municipal (and provincial?) support for a new CFL stadium in Halifax is not really a slam dunk, it's still a heck of a lot further along than I suspect Quebec City would get any time in the foreseeable future.

The reason Halifax is being considered by the CFL is because there are people there interested and talking to the CFL about a team and a stadium. Nobody is doing that in Quebec City.

^ I suspect Quebec must be extra motivated with the NHL thing given that they have a big, pricy new rink to fill. Let's face it, with the low dollar I think the odds are long but they're so invested they have to keep pushing.

If the arena hadn't been built I could imagine the idea of a CFL team in Quebec potentially having some traction.

Sorry, brain cramp on my part...

I agree with your point though.

Is there any truth to the idea that those who support Laval football don't want the CFL in town? I seem to recall that being mentioned in the past.

Interesting that Calgary didn't sell out.
They last hosted in 2009, so the "hosted too often, too soon" reason doesn't apply here.

They drew 46k in 2009, but only 35k yesterday.

The Grey Cup seems to be getting smaller and smaller.

The end zone area that used to be temporary cheap-seat bleacher seating in Grey Cups past was used instead for a double decker private box setup. So even though capacity for that area was much lower, the total take for that zone was probably a hell of a lot higher.

It's in keeping with the overall pro sports trend of catering to bigger spenders and increasing profitability vs. maximizing the number of people through the doors. So to call the Grey Cup smaller and smaller is simply wrong.

REVIEW: Keith Urban keeps things moving during the Grey Cup halftime show
Jane Stevenson Toronto Sun November 24, 2019

Keith Urban/Grey Cup Halftime
Sunday night
McMahon Stadium in Calgary
RATING: ***1/2 (3.5 out of four)

I have actually only ever heard that here on SSP. Never from anyone in Quebec and I include the Quebec media in that.

That said, it's certainly believable that a small group of powerful people who back U Laval football wouldn't want the CFL in town as competitors. But even so if there was a serious push from the city and other parties to try and get a team I doubt Laval and Friends would be strong enough to stop it.

They used to set up huge temporary bleachers at many Grey Cups (and they will at Hamilton). Calgary put up "premium suites" at the one end instead of a grandstand. I haven't seen any numbers of what a sellout would have been, how far short did they come?

The stadium definitely looked full on TV.