The dream of an NHL hockey game on Parliament Hill appears to be dead.
After 18 months of studying the possibility of an Ottawa Senators game on the Hill, a spokesman for Canada's heritage minister said an outdoor game has been deemed not feasible.
"In the highly complex environment regarding events on Parliament Hill, including the need for the uninterrupted operations of parliamentary business, public access, and security, a full-stadium NHL game was deemed not feasible and is no longer one of the options being considered," Pierre-Olivier Herbert, spokesman for Melanie Joly, said in a statement.
The Senators, Mayor Jim Watson and others have long been pushing for an outdoor game on the Hill to celebrate the NHL's 100th anniversary and Canada's 150th birthday.
Friday's decision means TD Place at Lansdowne Park is the likeliest place for an outdoor game in Ottawa next year, if one is scheduled. With temporary seating in place, the stadium can hold more than 40,000 fans.
The temporary seating will already be set up for the Grey Cup in November 2017.
The Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group is said to be willing to host the game at TD Place, but haven't held talks with the Senators yet.
Herbert said although there won't be an outdoor game, other public events are in the works to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation.
"We are exploring options with a number of partners to close the celebrations of Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation, including a variety of free public events to celebrate Canadians’ love of winter including activities across Canada and on Parliament Hill."
In a statement, Watson said he still believes there should be an outdoor game between the Senators and Canadiens next year.
"As a result of these recent developments, I have reached out to the Ottawa Senators and the NHL to see how we can move this discussion forward," he said in a statement. "We have agreed to pursue the conversation, and I look forward to meeting with the Senators’ ownership next week."
