MONTRÉAL, QC – The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is demanding that Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon lift the curtains with regards to the cost of billionaire Stephen Bronfman’s baseball stadium project.

“Any sum Fitzgibbon gives to Bronfman has to come from Quebecers’ pockets first and taxpayers can’t afford to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for a stadium that will only get used for half a season each year,” said CTF Quebec Director Renaud Brossard. “It’s absolutely wrong for Fitzgibbon to cook up a huge bill in backroom deals without even letting taxpayers take a look at it.”

Last weekend, the Journal de Montréal learned that the Department of the Economy was still working on different scenarios to pour money into the project.

An announcement about the team-sharing agreement is expected to take place after the municipal elections of Nov. 7, and would include “new open-air stadiums being built in both markets.”

So far, Bronfman’s group has not published any economic impact studies or indicated just how much money it’s hoping to get from Quebec taxpayers.

Three Major League Baseball stadiums have been built in the last decade: the Marlins Park (Miami), the Truist Park (Atlanta) and the Globe Life Field (Arlington). In American dollars, their construction has cost $630 millions, $672 millions et $1,2 billion respectively.

“Building a major league ballpark can easily cost a billion dollars and a part-time team won’t be able to pay for this,” said Brossard. “Taxpayers have already let the government know they’re against this handout, it’s high time Fitzgibbon listens to them.”

A survey published last April indicated 60 per cent of Quebecers were against putting taxpayers’ money into Bronfman’s stadium project.