THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay Border Cats manager Tony DiPaolo said the team's ownership group was caught off guard on Thursday when they saw a consultant’s recommendation to sell Port Arthur Stadium.
The move would save the city $113,047 annually and is part of an overall program and service review report being presented officially to council on Monday.
The report, produced by Grant Thornton, also notes the facility, which turns 70 next July, is maintained for a single team, the Border Cats, and will require significant investments to keep it viable.
DiPaolo said he’s hopeful council won’t act on the recommendation.
“Obviously it would be a real shame if the stadium was to go, and the same for any of the other options that were put forward,” DiPaolo said.
“We don’t have enough information at the moment because we haven’t had a chance to discuss anything with the people with the city to see what it actually means right now for the future of the team. Until we have that we don’t know if it will affect the upcoming season or whatnot.”
The Border Cats cancelled their 2020 campaign because of the threat of COVID-19, combined with the continued closure of the Canadian and U.S. border.
Those restrictions would have made it impossible to put on a season of any kind. The team ownership group has promised they’ll be back in 2021.
DiPaolo said it’s doubtful the owners of the Northwoods League franchise would be in the running to purchase the stadium, which has been home to the Border Cats since 2003 and also hosted world junior baseball championships in 2010 and 2017.
It’s just not realistic at this point, he said.
“If I was to make an assumption, if the city can’t afford to upgrade and maintain the property, it would be pretty tough for a small business to do so,” DiPaolo said.
He added the team will lobby the city and its elected officials to keep the stadium.
“Absolutely,” DiPaolo said. “We like having it as the home of the Border Cats. It’s been our home since the inception. The facility is great for us. If things go a different route, I guess we’ll just have to start looking at different areas to call our home.”
In Thunder Bay, the logical spot would be Baseball Central, which has co-hosted both world junior events, but is also home to the Thunder Bay Senior Baseball Association, a league displaced once by the Border Cats arrival in the city.The goal is to keep the team in Thunder Bay, he added.
“We got shocked by this and we don’t know what our options are or what we have to look for, for options yet,” he said.
“Until that time comes, we don’t know what’s available.”
Neebing Coun. Cody Fraser said the report is not a done deal, just another tool in the city's toolbox as it looks at better ways of doing business.
At the end of the day, any cuts to service or amentities have to be palatable. For him, Port Arthur Stadium is a non-starter.
"Certainly you don't want to displace a fixture in the community like the Border Cats, especially with that (ownership) they were able to pull together and really save the team. It's an amazing thing to do, to just go out and relax and watch a ball game in the summertime," Fraser said.
He admitted the stadium's inclusion in the report was a surprise.
"To be honest with you, I was shocked and it's something that is defnitely not palatable for me at this point."
The Border Cats are owned by a local consortium under the Grand Slam Sports and Entertainment banner.
