The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) released documents today showing Roughrider fans seeking tickets for any of the team’s seven sold out home games last year may missed the game thanks to a few crown corporations receiving hundreds of tickets.
Freedom of information (FOI) documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation show SGI, Sask Power and Sask Energy all purchased or obtained tickets as part of negotiated advertising/partnership agreements.
Responses show executives enjoyed many of the tickets, including box seats purchased by SaskEnergy.
“This is a situation that needs to be tackled,” said CTF Prairie Director Colin Craig. “Fans shouldn’t be prevented from going to Rider games because the government is in there competing against them for tickets.”
| Crown | Ticket Details | Cost |
| SaskEnergy | 10 Season tickets | $17,546 |
| SaskPower | 4 Season tickets 20 Tickets for "Touchdown Bunker Suite" (July 3 game) | $31,745 |
| SGI | 10 Season tickets (execs) 22 Season tickets (staff draw) 12 Season tickets (brokers) 100 Tickets (volunteers) | $49,000 |
“It’s one thing to use Rider tickets to thank volunteers, but crowns shouldn’t be negotiating tickets as part of advertising or sponsorships to ensure their staff or executives get into sold out games,” added Craig. “It’s even questionable whether these monopoly crown corporations even need to be purchasing advertising. If you’re not going to buy your electricity from SaskPower, who are you buying it from?”
To view the freedom of information documents (including names of attendees) see below:
SGI – click here
SaskEnergy – click here
SaskPower – click here
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