OSEG promising another 10 years of REDBLACKS, 67's if council approves funding

OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) is promising to keep the Ottawa REDBLACKS and the Ottawa 67's teams going for another 10 years, but it depends on a council vote.

In a letter to the mayor and Coun. Mathieu Fleury—the City's sports commissioner—OSEG said Monday they were willing to commit to another 10 years of operations for the CFL and OHL franchises if city council approves a funding plan for Lansdowne Park on Wednesday.

Council votes Wednesday on a staff recommendation to extend the partnership with OSEG for 10 years and allow access to $4.7 million in reserve funding for operations this year. The current deal between OSEG and the City of Ottawa includes a 30-year lease.

Last week, Watson and Fleury asked OSEG for a commitment to the sports teams before Wednesday's meeting.

"We are writing to you seeking OSEG's commitment to guarantee the continuation of both the Ottawa Redblacks and the Ottawa 67's for an additional ten years beyond the eight year commitment in the original agreement," said the letter.

OSEG agreed to the request, pending council's approval of the funding.

"I'm happy to confirm that if the measures recommended by (the Finance and Economic Development Committee) to ensure OSEG's survival and protect the City from risk are approved by City Council, we will extend our commitment that both teams will continue operations for another ten years," the letter from OSEG Chairman Roger Greenberg, posted publicly to Twitter by Mayor Jim Watson, said. "It is also our intention for the teams to continue playing on for many decades beyond that."

Pleased with OSEG’s commitment to keep Redblacks and Ottawa 67’s playing in the nation’s capital for at least another 10 years!

Fier de l’engagement du groupe OSEG qui verra le Rouge et Noir et les 67’s d’Ottawa jouer pour au moins dix ans de plus dans la capitale nationale! pic.twitter.com/jeKmEvpHFZ

— Jim Watson (@JimWatsonOttawa) December 7, 2020

In November, the Finance and Economic Development Committee approved the staff recommended changes to the agreement between the City of Ottawa and OSEG to provide financial assistance. During the meeting, City Manager Steve Kanellakos told Council, "We are not bailing them out."

The $4.7 million for OSEG comes from the capital reserve fund, which can currently only be used for approved capital projects.

The City of Ottawa and OSEG will also establish a working group to look at the long-term sustainability of Lansdowne.

The area has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced shops to close for a time, and cancelled the CFL season and the OHL playoffs.