Provincial government ‘disappointed’ with Whitecaps’ response to BC Place offer

With just a few weeks until the Vancouver Whitecaps kick off their MLS season, the team is still negotiating a new lease deal for BC Place.

With just weeks before the Vancouver Whitecaps begin their MLS season, the club’s long-term future in the city remains unclear as negotiations continue on a new lease agreement at the provincially run BC Place.

The B.C. government says discussions with the team have reached a difficult point.

“It’s disappointing,” said Ravi Kahlon, the province’s minister of jobs and economic growth.

“We’re heading into the territory of them essentially saying, ‘Pay us to stay.’”

The province has offered the Whitecaps a “net-zero” agreement, which Kahlon says would see BC Place return all game-day profits—about $1.5 million per season—directly back to the team. The government says it is also exploring additional revenue options for the club, including food and alcohol sales and sponsorship opportunities.

But on Tuesday afternoon, the Whitecaps responded to the offer with the following statement:

“We appreciate the continued efforts of the provincial government and BC Place under challenging economic conditions. However, unfortunately, our gap between being top seven in attendance and last in revenue is so significant that this effort alone isn’t the game changer that is needed for long-term sustainability. We are committed to working collaboratively to identify solutions that ensure the long-term home of Whitecaps FC in Vancouver.”

On Wednesday, the Whitecaps communications team told CTV News this statement did not mean the Whitecaps had rejected the Province’s offer.

Whitecaps officials were not made available for an interview Wednesday, but team president Axel Schuster is set to speak with media on Thursday morning.

Kahlon says at this point it’s ‘not entirely clear’ what the Whitecaps are seeking in a deal.

“The reality is, is that the challenges the Whitecaps have are way more structural than just an agreement with us on the stadium,” he said.

The Official Opposition argues the province is taking on unnecessary risk and could be setting a precedent. B.C. Conservative finance critic Peter Milobar said the concern lies in how much public support is being considered.

“Fundamentally, the biggest problem really is around a professional sports franchise having complete, free access to a building and not having any sort of revenue coming back,” Milobar said.

Milobar did not state whether the B.C. Conservatives would want the Whitecaps to stay in the city if it meant using tax dollars to keep them here.

The Whitecaps have been up for sale since late 2024 and say there have been no interested buyers, pointing to financial and scheduling limitations involved with playing at BC Place.

Sports economist Moshe Lander believes the situation is becoming increasingly precarious.

“It’s very simple: See them when you can because I don’t think they’re long for Vancouver,” he said.

Lander added that uncertainty around relocation could be influencing potential ownership interest.

“Part of the reason why nobody’s looking to line up and buy the team is because, at least for now, the expectation is that the team will stay in Vancouver,” he said. “If you relax that constraint and say you can buy this team for a song and take it wherever you like, there might be a whole bunch of ownership groups that jump for that.”

The Whitecaps are set to kickoff their MLS season Feb. 21 at BC Place. The lease negotiations are not expected to impact the Whitecaps during the 2026 season.