MONTREAL – Quebecor is one step closer to building its NHL-calibre arena in Quebec City with Wednesday’s adoption of bill 204 by the provincial government.
The bill validates a management contract for the proposed $400 million arena between Quebecor Media and the city of Quebec, and aims to pre-empt any lawsuits challenging the partnership. The 25-year deal, which Quebecor signed in early March, is designed to help attract an NHL team back to Quebec City (the now defunct Nordiques last played in the city in 1995). It would also mean some attractive content for Quebecor’s new sports channel TVA Sports and Videotron’s mobile offering.
While admitting that there’s been no guarantee from the NHL, Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau applauded the new law, and said his company is now “well positioned” to reach its goal.
"We now have all the necessary tools to reach the objective we set out to bring the Nordiques back to Quebec City”, he said in a statement. “The population of Quebec City and all hockey fans can count on our unwavering determination in our ongoing representations to the National Hockey League.”
