Lansdowne 2.0 approved following sharply divided marathon meeting

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The Civic Centre, which was constructed in 1967 and is among the oldest remaining junior hockey arenas in Ontario, has been plagued by problems and is not a favourable destination for concerts, Craig told the committee.

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Amy Scheer, the PWHL’s executive vice-president of business operations (left) and Jayna Hefford, PWHL’s executive vice-president of hockey operations, were among the delegations who spoke during the Lansdowne 2.0 discussions during the FCSC special meeting held at Ottawa City Hall on Oct. 29, 2025. Photo by JEAN LEVAC /POSTMEDIA

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A large number of public delegations voiced their opposition to the deal and the extended partnership with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, which operates the venues and owns the two primary tenants: the Ottawa 67’s and the Ottawa Redblacks.

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Coun. Shawn Menard, whose Capital ward is home to Lansdowne Park, has been among the fiercest critics of the deal with OSEG, which is set to extend until 2075.

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Menard questioned city staff on the complex financial agreement with OSEG and pointed out that taxpayers would be responsible for covering any construction cost overruns.

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A number of opponents said the partnership between the city and OSEG had posted net financial losses for every fiscal year and had yet to generate positive cash flows under the Lansdowne 1.0 partnership, which was signed in October 2012.

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Despite having a “successful year” with 188 events at TD Place, Lansdowne Park had an overall net loss of $11.1 million for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025.

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City staff confirmed the Lansdowne 2.0 would incur $331 million in debt, which the city would take on, but that figure would balloon to $694 million with interest and repayments over the lengthy term of the deal. The city will service that debt by paying $17.3 million annually, staff told the committee.

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Menard introduced several motions and amendments to the deal, including one motion calling on OSEG to guarantee the Redblacks and 67’s would commit to staying at Lansdowne until 2042. The original deal contained no guarantee the teams would remain there past 2032.

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Another motion called on staff “to ensure there is more city oversight in Lansdowne 2.0 financial performance and business decisions going forward.”

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The committee also carried a motion from Menard that would increase the share of funds generated through the sale of air rights to be allocated to affordable housing projects from $9.75 million to $22.75 million.

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A motion from Coun. Jeff Leiper amended the share of the municipal accommodation tax (MAT) that would be dedicated to Lansdowne 2.0.

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The city is set to raise the MAT levied on hotels and AirBnbs from five per cent to six per cent, which is projected to raise an additional $5 million per year for tourism initiatives. The initial agreement called for $2 million of that to be dedicated to Lansdowne.

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Leiper’s motion, which was carried, amended that figure from a set dollar amount of $2 million to 40 per cent of the MAT increase to account for inflation over the 40-year term.

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The redevelopment is divided into three phases, with the first phase focusing on building the new event centre and Great Lawn, beginning in November and extending to July 2028.