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Home , Daryl Katz, Don Iveson, Ice District, Jan Reimer, Karen Leibovici, Northlands Coliseum

POWER PLAY

POWER PLPRAOFYESSIONAL HOCKEY AND THE POLITICS OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT JAY SCHERER, DAVID MILLS & LINDA SLOAN MCCULLOCH

3 Published by Cover photo: Keith Moore Photography, www.keithmoorephotos.com. Used by The University of Press permission. Ring House 2 , Alberta, T6G 2E1 All rights reserved. No part of this publica- www.uap.ualberta.ca tion may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any Copyright © 2019 Jay Scherer, David Mills, and means (electronic, mechanical, photocopy- Linda Sloan McCulloch ing, recording, or otherwise) without prior written consent. Contact Library and Archives Canada Press for further details. Cataloguing in Publication University of Alberta Press supports copy- Title: Power play : professional hockey and right. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages the politics of urban development / diverse voices, promotes free speech, and Jay Scherer, David Mills, and Linda Sloan creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buy- McCulloch. ing an authorized edition of this book and for Names: Scherer, Jay, 1975- author. | Mills, complying with the copyright laws by not re- David, 1952- author. | McCulloch, Linda producing, scanning, or distributing any part Sloan, 1960- author. of it in any form without permission. You are Description: Includes bibliographical supporting writers and allowing University of references and index. Alberta Press to continue to publish books for Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20190174730 | every reader. Canadiana (ebook) 20190174749 | ISBN 9781772124934 (softcover) | University of Alberta Press gratefully acknowl- ISBN 9781772124941 (EPUB) | edges the support received for its publishing ISBN 9781772124958 (Kindle) | program from the Government of Canada, ISBN 9781772124965 (PDF) the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Subjects: LCSH: Arenas—Alberta— Government of Alberta through the Alberta Edmonton—Finance. | LCSH: Arenas— Media Fund. Economic aspects—Alberta—Edmonton. | LCSH: City planning—Alberta— Every effort has been made to identify copy- Edmonton. | LCSH: Public-private sector right holders and obtain permission for cooperation—Alberta—Edmonton. the use of copyright material. Please notify Classification:L CC GV418.R64 S34 2019 | University of Alberta Press of any additions DDC 796.06/8712334—dc23 or corrections that should be incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book. First edition, first printing, 2019. First electronic edition, 2019. This work is published with the assistance Copyediting and proofreading by of the Western Canadiana Publications Angela Pietrobon. Endowment. Indexing by Stephen Ullstrom. Book design by Alan Brownoff. 6 7 For citizens of Edmonton: Past, present, and future

Rogers Place was built on Treaty 6 territory, a traditional gathering place for diverse Indigenous peoples including the Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, Ojibway/Saulteaux/Anishinaabe, Inuit and many others. Discussions of , therefore, necessitate an acknowledgement of the broader history of our presence on Indigenous lands.

CONTENTS

Foreword xi Richard Gruneau Preface xv Acknowledgements xxi Important Terms xxiii

1 Introduction 1 2 Boosting Edmonton 15 Hockey and the Promotion of the City, 1894–1977 3 The Blue Line and the Bottom Line 43 , the EIGLP, and the Business of Hockey in Edmonton, 1977–2005 4 Preparing the Political Terrain 67 5 Making the Team 89 6 Power Plays 119 7 Shut Out 139 8 Show Me the Money 167 9 End Game? 191 10 The Beat Goes On 213 11 Head Games 235 12 Lobbying the Province, Slamming 257 13 The Art of the Deal? 283 14 Conclusion 307

Epilogue 337 The Oilers Get a New Arena, So the Flames Want One, Too Notes 359 Bibliography 413 Index 421 FOREWORD

NEARLY THIRTY YEARS AGO, the iconic Canadian literary critic xi Northrop Frye commented on Toronto’s aspirations to be a “world- class” city. If Toronto is a world-class city, Frye suggested, “it is not because it bids for the Olympics or builds follies like the Skydome, but because of the tolerated variety of people in its streets.”1 For Frye, world-class cities are characterized by their diversity and cosmo- politanism and it is only here where Toronto might stake its claim to world-class status. In Frye’s optimistic vision, truly world-class cities celebrate human variety rather than ignoring it, condemning it, or pushing it to the urban periphery. I think this argument is more compelling than ever when you consider how increasing gentrification has been pushing major Canadian downtowns toward greater socioeconomic uniformity. It is also an advance warning against the renewed visibility of reac- tionary populist racial and ethnic prejudice in recent years. Having said this, it is important to consider the subtext of Frye’s remarks, that ambitions for major sporting events, spectacular new stadiums, or arenas should not be written off simply as economic follies or barriers to progressive models of urban development. The difficulty is that the issues in question here are extremely complex, vary over time, and differ from city to city. A blanket view ofall supposedly world-class urban spectacles and projects as financial losers, bread xii foreword an elaborate public–private partnership involving a new state-of-the-art an elaborate involving public–private state-of-the-art partnership anew responded with with Edmonton’s Katz, Daryl billionaire teamowner an influential blocofcivicboostersandlocalpoliticians, power along refer toasthe“haunting spectre”oflosing theOilerstoanothercity, Facednies thisvisionofurbandevelopment. withwhattheauthors thepromotionalspin anddissects thatsooftenaccompa- analyzes Jayable bookby Scherer, DavidMills,andLinda SloanMcCulloch buildingand thechanging in Edmonton, thisremark- politicsofcity century. world ofthetwenty-first in theglobalized,capital highlymediated, consumption-oriented of deriving fromthemobilenature pressures andopportunities representedasanecessary, responseto inevitable, even typically assomething proponents positive, itisalso not onlypresentedby model andevent-based A project-driven ofurbandevelopment is up, asthepopular tofloatallboats, sayingeveryone goes. to lift rising tideofinvestments in thepursuitofsuch things issupposed place branding, andimagined The world-class entertainments. development, mega-projects, realestate strategic linkages between in nationalandglobalcompetitionforthrough world-class status affluent andtourists. immigrants, andattract privatecapital, aswellsaid tocreateemployment as class aspirations arein are thepublic Thisisbecausethey interest. world- acity’s concessionsorpublic subsidies tosupport and tax thatzoning have consumption, andtourism.Proponents argued and international investment, advertising, circuits ofcapital being world class meanssecuring aprivileged place onnational teams,andinternationally Inthisview, prominent events. sports exclusive hotels, upmarket shopping experiences,majorleague isasiteforFor magnificentarchitecture, them,aworld-class city class” phrase “world in amuch different Frye. wayfrom Northrop Canada’s thepast40years have majorcitiesover understood the foris nosubstitute seriousthinking onthematter. and circuses, oraspathwaystoracial orethniconedimensionality Focusing onrelationships between Since the1980s,in particular, majorCanadian citieshave engaged Still, thatboostersandpromotersin itisundoubtedly true hockey,NHL urbanboosterism, foreword xiii Through a combination of interviewsThrough a combination documentary and exhaustive In recent years, there have been several there have about how books In recent years, owners research, Scherer, Mills, and McCulloch discuss brilliantly how brilliantly all discuss and McCulloch Mills, Scherer, research, analysis of But, me, their Edmonton. for in out of this has played contemporary events by is made even an extensive more convincing between relationships shifting historical discussion of the long and and boosterism as a “corporate–civic Edmonton in project.” hockey and the control in changes revealsThe narrative sometimes-subtle has been connected ways hockey the differing and ownership of hockey elites. and professional business coalitions of Edmonton’s to shifting of founding It is all here: from the earliest teams and the Edmonton League Hockey teams in Exhibition Association, through to Western the 1970s and the 1920s, and the WHL and NHL Oilers teams in team ownerships, arenas, in and various changes 1980s, including The authors provide a nuanced longi- about arena funding. debates and political economy of tudinal case study of the politics, history, a major sports the role in team, sports combined their arenas, and of major league of leaving sports used the threat have franchises publicly- cities to leverage from governments concessions new, for these books situate and arenas. The best of funded stadiums their consideration of contemporary funding urban politics and stadium nature the pro- of changing analysis of the rapidly an integrated in sportfessional industry and pressures on city governments arising from the growing importance of the tourist, and entertainment media, central to North become more As have industries. these industries American urban economies, city increased governments felt have made by subsidies team public pressure to accede to demands for owners new to find revenue looking streams. arena and surrounding entertainment and surrounding arena known area residential and over well were for the arena costs financing Direct District.” as “Ice arguably scheme, financing an innovative requiring $600 million, resources draining and tax the city, with negative for implications infrastructurefrom other services. social needs and to There has yet while costs of from the city, accounting and full be a thorough represents a development suggested that the arena critics have to the Katz gift in excess a billion dollars. of public Group xiv foreword world class in the twenty-first century. world class in thetwenty-first ofwhatitmeansfor citiestobe boththerhetoricandreality stand of Edmonton’s tounder- civicpolitics,butalsotoanyone struggling scholars,will notonlybeofinterest tosport hockey fans,andfollowers development Americancity. ofaNorth have They written a book that Richard Gruneau Bowen Island, 2018 Co-author ofHockey Nightin Canada PREFACE

DR. JAY SCHERER is a Professor of Sociology of Sport in the Faculty xv of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. He has researched and published for two decades on political debates over the use of public funds to build urban infrastructure for major league sports franchises. Jay first became involved in the arena debate in Edmonton as a member of Voices For Democracy, a grassroots group organized to oppose the use of public funds for the development of Rogers Place. He grew up in and was a fan of the until the franchise relocated to Phoenix in the mid-1990s. He has played recreational hockey for most of his life. Linda McCulloch’s (then Linda Sloan) involvement began during her time on city council in Edmonton from 2004 to 2013 (after acting as a Member of Alberta’s Legislative Assembly from 1997 to 2001). She was active in Edmonton Minor Hockey, including elected terms on the Edmonton Girls Hockey Association and volunteering with the Knights of Columbus, Whitemud West, and Canadian Athletic Hockey Clubs. During her nine years on council, two public issues captured and divided the electorate: closing the Airport and building the downtown arena. She voted against both the closure of the airport and the arena financing agreement. Many in Edmonton characterized her opposition to the arena financing agreement as opposition to the Oilers—a standard approach to xvi

preface personal notesonthepolitical proceedings and, in particular, the council, including fromhertimeretained oncity detailed herown heavily onthearena-related andmaterials documents thatLinda doing, andrelied we have accessed numeroushistoricalreports debate, Inso historicalantecedents. politicalprocesses, andits its abalancedhave triedtoprovide andrichly accountofthe detailed financed arenadevelopment for theEdmonton Oilers.However, we the$613.7-million,publicly-coalition ofboosterswhosupported and for theuseofscarcepublic resourcesthantheinfluential growth coloured ouranalysis.We simply have adifferent vision for the city debate. Certainly, biases and assumptionshave shapedand ourown than-stellar career. around Edmonton for almost 35years, untilinjuries endedaless- ticket holder. Hewasagoaliefor old-timer’s hockey teamsin and Edmonton. Nowheisalong-suffering Edmonton Oilersseason Oilers during theclub’s to years ofthe1980safterhemoved glory as aToronto fan,hetransferred hisallegiance MapleLeafs tothe up Pocklington Davidgrew era,thenjoined theteam.Although on thebusiness ofhockey in Edmonton, especially during the for30years, andwhohaswritten over ofAlberta at theUniversity andClassics ofHistory in theDepartment history andsports history needed tobepublished. account ofthenegotiations anddiscussionsbehind closed doors— agreedthatafuller account ofthearenadebate—especiallyThey an would notseek in re-election theupcoming municipal election. Linda hadannouncedthatshewasretiring frompublic life and Linda metaftertheculmination ofthearenadebate in 2013,after ofpublicother deliberations money. theexpenditure over Jay and with thearenadebate, differently from which wasconducted very skeptical ofthesecretive andrestrictive politicalprocessassociated Shehadalsobecomeincreasinglyon mostoftherisksandcosts. of thedealfellEdmonton took Group, totheKatz whilethecity financing agreementbecauseshethoughtthatmostofthebenefits ofdebates. Linda reallyvotedcritics in against thesetypes thearena This book does not provide thedefinitiveThis bookdoesnotprovide accountofthearena Dr. DavidMills,arecentlyretired Canadian professor whotaught preface xvii - - - - Freedom of Information and Protection of and Protection of Information Freedom ) for public bodies to provide requested informa bodies to provide public requested ) for ) disputed. Even when municipal officials were able officials when municipal Even ) disputed. OIP F OIPC ( That Linda retained a significant collection of files and well-kept well-kept retained a significant collection of files and That Linda claim that the Office of the Information and Privacy that the Office of the Information Commissioner claim of Alberta ( numerous bureaucrats withheld municipal to retrieve information, sion, we were informed by the Office of the City informed were sion, we Clerk that crucial reports—could arena-related foundational information—including all communica for response to a request Then, in not be located. tion between Daryl and Mandel Mayor by Katz, informed were we single email message existed—a office that not a the city clerk’s tion. We were routinely quoted exorbitant fee estimates to access exorbitant estimates fee quoted routinely were tion. We even tens of thousands of dollars. sometimes information, public were that we though, was the sheer number of times Most troubling, had officials Often, municipal information. denied access to public reports, public an redacted documents, and communication to such extent that they virtually On another occa were incomprehensible. attempts to obtain public information about the arena debate from about the arena debate information attempts to obtain public We the city requests. through Freedom of Information of Edmonton beyond the stated well that went experienced some lengthy delays of the limit 30-day time Privacy Act traditional remit to provide disinterested and objective analyses provide traditional remit to and objective disinterested medi become a broker, issues and had simply about arena-related and booster of the deal. ator, our notes was fortunate, in encountered obstacles continually as we often, motions were made to provide direction to administration in made to providewere to administration often, motions direction with the Katz Group without any publicthe next steps of negotiations discussion. This strategy transparency limited and democratic became accountability Linda time, political issue. Over a volatile for concerned that cityincreasingly its had abandoned administration personal notes from the arena debate precisely because of her because precisely debate notes from the arena personal manipulated. howconcern with being political process was the councillors would that indicated agenda council’s when Frequently, what city from the arena debate on the an update manager, receive different; was much doors closed they with behind presented were in-camera meetings, of which there are limited records and no and no records are limited there in-camera of which meetings, reports of council her copies kept She audio recordings. and her xviii

preface interference. timelines, aswell asmeaningful penaltiestoeliminate political ofprotocolstoensureminimal establishment fees andshortened underscore theneedfor reform totheF obstacles thatrestrictaccesstopublic information acrossAlberta of information forwantto. years, ifthey For critics,theinstitutional time,appeals take andpublic bodiescaneffectively delay therelease by theOIP but onlyafterrequesting anumberofreviews including theNHLcommissioner, Bettman. Gary municipal officials andtheNHL, communicationsbetween written office refusedto release aover1,000pagesof single document from clerk’s thecity andcommunications.Inoneinstance, documents deMause, ,Simon Farbrother,deMause, Kerry Fawcett, EdGibbons, Max Bouma,Tony Anderson,Jerry Caterina,Rick Daviss,Neil Bryan for the book.Weavailable tobeinterviewed would like tothank were extraordinarily generouswiththeir time andmadethemselves ofcitizenstobeinvolved in municipal affairs.the ability andrestrict ofpublic–private partnerships accompany thesetypes point thatinevitably tothesubstantivedemocratic limitations Group (Section16oftheF mation would harmful prove tothebusiness interests oftheKatz in question claiming by facility thatreleasing thisinfor- city-owned tothe andinformationto restrictaccessdocuments pertaining Edmonton EconomicDevelopmenthave continued Corporation Group, ofEdmonton, theKatz andthe problems remain, asthecity tuity. Still, in aswe discovered later toaccessinformation, attempts arenotkept secretin perpe- andreports ensure thatdocuments andto andregulations toimprovetransparency duced rules new ofEdmontonjournalist attheEdmontonJournal hasintro , thecity citizens,includingconcerns, andothersraisedby EliseStolte,a F hallandthe misapplicationof atcity for aprobeinto thesecrecy Nickel, whomadeenquiries onourbehalf andwhopersonallycalled rules and policies by municipal officials. andpoliciesby Inresponsetothese OIP rules We someoftheinformation obtained we asked eventually for, On theotherhand, many peopleinvolved in thearenadebate We would Mike like toCouncillor toextendoursincere gratitude 1 Act). All oftheseissues,course, All OIP Act). (1994),includingOIP Act the C. These - preface xix The following people were contacted, but either did not respond did not respond but either contacted, people were The following or did not wish to be interviewed:or did not wish to be Andersen, who signed Richard agreement upon his departurea non-disclosure from Northlands, Dan (Katz Dr. , Group), Black Bateman, Bob Margaret Shipton Lorna and Tim Cal Rosen, Nichols, Nenshi, Mason, Naheed (Katz Group). Andy Grabia, Doug Griffiths, Fish Griwkowsky, Scott Hennig, Brad Hennig, Scott Fish Griwkowsky, Doug Griffiths, Grabia, Andy Gordon Ken Kent, Humphreys, Lorne Humphreys, Andy Huntley, John LaForge, , GaryKnowles, Patrick Lamphier, Scott Al Maurer, , MacDonald, Wayne MacKinnon, David Staples, Simons, Mimi Paula Cec Purves,McKeen, Reimer, Jan and Andrew Zimbalist. Williams,

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK the following individuals who read xxi parts of the book and offered constructive feedback and helpful comments: Ziad Fazel, Rylan Kafara, Michael Leskow, Robert McCulloch, Brian Soebbing, Kevin Taft, Paul Voisey, and David Whitson. We are grateful to Andy Grabia, who not only reviewed a number of chapters of the book, but also generously shared with us his own research on the arena debate. A special thanks to Rick Gruneau for his comments on the book, and for contributing the Foreword. We would also like to thank the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation for its support of this project, as well as Dan Rose of the Edmonton Heritage Council and Terry O’Riordan of the Provincial Archives of Alberta for their assistance. Thanks, as well, to Douglas Hildebrand, Cathie Crooks, Duncan Turner, Alan Brownoff, and the rest of the staff at University of Alberta Press, and to Leslie Robertson and Angela Pietrobon for their editorial assistance. An enormous debt is owed to Peter Midgley, who has supported this project since our first meeting, and who has provided sage advice over the course of many years of research and writing. Jay would like to extend his gratitude to his friends at Boyle Street Community Services. xxii acknowledgements project. ourwork in onthis andbeyond supporting who have goneabove Emma, andChristopherScherer; Janice Mills;andBillMcCulloch— Finally, we would like tothankourrespective families—Heather, IMPORTANT TERMS

The Arena Financing Agreement xxiii The $613.7-million financing agreement between the city of Edmonton and the Katz Group (Edmonton Arena Corporation, or EAC) is complex and expansive. It includes a range of financing mechanisms to cover the costs of the arena development and related infrastructure for the next 35 years, which are recorded in Table 1.1 Other significant expenses—including the city of Edmonton’s interest and other borrowing costs—are not included in the table.

Table 1. Breakdown of Financing for Arena Development Project (Figures in Millions)

Element Estimated CRL General EAC Lease EAC Ticket Other Cost (Community City Funding Cash Surcharge Revitalization Funding Levy) Rogers Place $483.5 $145.0 $81.0 $112.8 $19.7 $125.0 (the arena) Winter Garden $56.8 $25.0 $0.1 $25.0 $6.7 Pedestrian Corridor $15.0 $15.0 LRT Connection $7.0 $7.0 Community $24.9 $14.0 $0.1 $0.3 $10.5 Downtown Arena Arena Land $26.5 $25.0 $0.5 $1.0 TOTAL $613.7 $231.0 $81.7 $137.8 $27.7 $125.0 $10.5

Source: Adapted from City of Edmonton, “The Agreement,” 2019, https://www.edmonton.ca/ attractions_events/rogers_place/the-agreement.aspx. xxiv

important terms Northlands arenasubsidy. arenaparkade,andareallocationofthe fromthedowntown taxes parkingproperty revenue, years withacombination ofdowntown debt wasintended20 tobefundedover supporting, tax-guaranteed Annual principal on$81.7millionofself- andinterest payments Funding City General It expires in 2034. intended tocontribute$231millionthecostofRogers Place. CRLwasoriginally Downtown City values. TheCapital property Edmonton in December2014aftersetting abaseline for assessed of thecity in 2014,andactivatedby ofAlberta thegovernment by CRLwasapproved Downtown City TheCapital of theprovince. collectedonbehalf tax aswellrevenues, as theeducation property which awayfromgeneral isdiverted tax, ofproperty portion city’s within theboundary.amenities andinfrastructure Thisincludes the of thedevelopment andservicing redirected tosupport estate—is development andfromtheincreasedoccurs fromnew value ofreal lift that in revenue within revenue theCRLboundary—the tax new in time for thisbaseline upto20years. After allofthe assessment, ataspecificpoint a defined geographicarea(theCRLboundary) basefor tofreezethe assessedtax thepower amunicipality grants underdeveloped areaswithin theirties revitalize boundaries. It in government 2005tohelp municipali- theAlberta created by (CRL)isafunding mechanism Levy Revitalization A Community Levy Revitalization Community ($3.5 million). throughtheFederal Tax,notably Gas andMacEwanUniversity includes thefederal($7million), government by fundsprovided in thefinal column $10.5millionshown (“Other”), both. Thetotal ICE Joint Venture—the interest in Groupholdsanownership Katz The EAC Cash funding shown in Table funding Cash shown 1camefromtheEAC and important terms xxv A ticket surcharge on admissions at the Coliseum on admissions has also surcharge A ticket The ticket surcharge is now to be collected by surcharge the Katz Group The ticket been levied on by the city surcharge rate as the ticket to the same to a maximum Place, of 7 percent. events The at Rogers non-hockey the of writing, At the time city. go to the proceeds of this surcharge and faces future demolition. sits empty, Coliseum unused, remains and set annually, subject to approval by the city manager. When to approval subject by the city manager. and set annually, was set at 9.5 surcharge 2016, the initial opened in Place Rogers percent. Every to remit the three months, the Katz is required Group to the city surcharge to cover the principal proceeds from the ticket payments that was borrowedand interest the $125 million over for a provide to the term, plus a $1.5 million annual contribution 35-year city major capital ongoing expenditures. to create a fund for If the to cover these costs exceeds required the amount surcharge ticket the Katz Group is entitled to retain this a three-month period, for will not be used to pay down therefore, This surplus, the surplus. will it carry Nor forwardcity’s loan faster. to future when the years tax may not accept a ticket a 20 to 35-year-old on market arena. Ticket Surcharge Ticket for of the central mechanisms has been one surcharge A ticket money renovationsraising Coliseum for at the Northlands for and It is a taxthe construction Place. of Rogers of added to the price by events is paid for the facilities and the users—the for in tickets or concerts. tax games A similar spectators hockey was attending by the cityintroduced owner the mid-1990s, when the former in of another source of revenue; demanded the Oilers, Peter Pocklington, this tax also provided revenue from non-hockey to Northlands events.

1 INTRODUCTION

IN SEPTEMBER 2016, amidst much fanfare and celebration, Rogers 1 Place—Edmonton’s $613.7-million,1 publicly-financed arena and the new home of the ’s (nhl) Oilers—opened for business. To mark the occasion, the city’s most influential polit- ical, business, and cultural leaders, plus the media, were in attendance to show their support for the facility and for the public–private part- nership between the city and the Katz Group in the civic–corporate project of transforming Edmonton in the new millennium. In a fitting and symbolic gesture, , the Oilers’ billionaire owner, and Mayor Don Iveson, once a vocal opponent of the arena’s public finan- cing agreement, were photographed together on the red carpet at the reception. In their celebratory remarks, both Katz and Iveson heralded the arena and its surrounding entertainment area, known as , for revitalizing the downtown and announcing Edmonton’s arrival on the world stage. Certainly, for its main proponents, as well as its main beneficia- ries, the new arena development represented a success story for both public and private interests. The would be financially sustainable for decades to come and committed to a 35-year location agreement, putting to rest longstanding concerns about the viability of nhl hockey in a peripheral Western Canadian city. For boosters and hockey fans alike, the prospect of losing the 2 power play “new” investment downtown; for onething, asinvestment, spending, investment “new” downtown; developers. Significantcaveats mustaccompanythe claims about property Groupandotherpowerful theKatz had beenassembledby to Edmonton’s centralcore,wherelarge blocks ofundeveloped land hassince attractedmorethan$2billionin investment supporters, its didn’t getthedealhewanted. histeamtoSeattleifhe withtheideaofmoving 2012, hadflirted September in who, Oilers, the of was notlostonthecurrentowner threats Pocklington’s of opened in 1974tosimilarsuccess fanfare.The team’s former home,theNorthlands Coliseum—a facility that had the at subsidies public more andconcessionsadditional then toOklahoma City, andfinally toHouston, unlesshewasgranted theOilers firstthreatened tomove Hamilton,thenMinneapolis, years ofthe1990s,whenteam’s former owner, PeterPocklington, club remained ahaunting spectre,especiallyturbulent afterthe Oilers, onSeptember 8,2016. during theopening ceremony atRogers Place homeoftheEdmonton Arena, thenew Katz (right)andEdmontonMayorDonIvesoncelebrateEdmonton Oilers ownerDaryl Rogers Place and, wasbuiltontime andonbudget, according to [Canadian Press/Jason Franson] 3 introduction The protestors painted The protestors painted a radically 3 ) and the far-reaching effects of the effects ) and the far-reaching Still, Rogers Place has undeniably played a major, though a major, played has undeniably Place Rogers Still, 2 However, even in the midst of the celebration, and before the and before even the midst of the celebration, in However, different picture of life in Edmonton’s gentrifying downtownin Edmonton’s picture core. different of life atten- less received have that issues social the about Theytoo, spoke, resources from citytion and considerably fewer public hall than its but oft-cited, the economic growth and they agenda, questioned that subsidizing professional claim demonstrated, rarely sports teams and jobs have been relocated and centralized in a small part a in and centralized of the relocated been have and jobs downtown, the around and neighbourhoods—especially areas other abandoned Coliseum—have is also necessary It - to acknowl declined. enjoying central core has been a period of Edmonton’s that edge growthsubstantive turn the since of the new redevelopment and with or without was set to continue, that this pattern and millennium, a new arena. development on people, including the city centre’s homeless the city homeless centre’s on people, including development community—most on many as of whom are Indigenous—as well strugglingpre-existing property that were with increased businesses tax payments issues. and parking Oilers hit the ice for their first regular-season game at Rogers Place, Place, Rogers game at regular-season first their Oilers hit the ice for the arena also represented controversy and division. Hundreds of resources had been spent to of scarce public millions of dollars at the expense of othersupport of a billionaire interests the business infrastructure services. needs and social every Not Edmontonian before development. Just this world-class in can participate equally example, some downtown for the new arena opened, residents appeared at city commu- hall to protest the absence of a meaningful nity benefits agreement (cba not primary, role in the transformation of Edmonton’s ’s of the transformation role in not primary, income choices—and residential and leisure of expansion the in and for opportunities—for elites, and professional the city’s business a “world-class in city”whom living as both Katz and matters. And, the new arena and entertainment suggested, Iveson district has atmosphere, people, a sense of vibrancy, young for especially created, the cityand pride in been in sometimes local boosters, that has, for carica- light of the range of unflattering in especially short supply, or boiler room” “Canada’s tures like applied to Edmonton, “Deadmonton.”