Finance Minister Bill Morneau says if Halifax inevitably gets a CFL team, additional federal funding isn’t out of the question.
Morneau made a stop in Halifax on Friday to promote the 2019 budget. He addressed the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, telling the group the budget continues to invest in areas that can make a big difference in the long term.
Speaking to reporters after, Morneau also faced questions about federal funding for a CFL stadium. The company working to bring a CFL team to Atlantic Canada has recently launched a lobbying effort to seek federal funding.
READ MORE: Organization attempting to bring CFL to Halifax launches federal lobbying push for stadium funding
But Morneau first punted the question to his colleague, MP Andy Fillmore.
“We’re very excited about this one-time gas tax top-up fund,” he said. “I’ve started to canvas my constituents, the stadium has come up, but so has things like bike lanes.”
The gas tax top-up comes from the 2019 federal budget but is municipal money. When pressed if the federal government would contribute to a stadium, Morneau said he could not comment on a proposal he has yet to receive.
“I will say we’re going to continue to invest to make sure Canada is a great place to live, and that includes investing in middle class Canadians,” said Morneau. “It also includes making sure we have the kind of amenities locally that we need, and sports and cultural opportunities are also critically important.”
Ottawa, Regina, Winnipeg and Hamilton have all recently built CFL stadiums. Only Hamilton’s stadium received federal money, and it was one of the main venues for the Pan Am Games in 2015.
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