A hockey team, the Los Angeles Kings, will come and play two games in Quebec City in October 2024. The problem: their visit will cost the government (and therefore Quebecers) between $5 and $7 million. However, we learned on Monday that the Kings were going to play for free in an American city. All this causes a lot of reaction! I explain to you.
The Kings visiting Quebec
The Los Angeles Kings will come to play at the Videotron Center in Quebec in October 2024. They will play two preparatory games, that is to say which do not count in the regular season.
Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard announced in November that the government would pay part of the costs of these matches. It is expected to cost between $5 million and $7 million.
Help that does not pass
At the time of the announcement in November, teachers and health care workers were on strike demanding better working conditions. The government then said it did not have the money to pay them more. The news of the Kings’ visit (and its cost!) caused a lot of anger.
You should know that the owners of the National Hockey League (the NHL) are millionaires… and sometimes billionaires! Do they really need government money? This criticism circulates a lot. Especially since government money is the money of citizens, who pay taxes, like your parents!
But the story does not end there !
Monday, The Press told us that before coming to Quebec, the Kings were going to play another preparatory game in Salt Lake City, in the United States. Amount of money paid by the City and the State (Utah) for the holding of this match: 0 dollars.
This news reignited the anger of the opposition parties. Why should Quebec pay for the Kings visit when, elsewhere, they will play for free?
But for the CAQ government, it will be a celebration for all hockey fans in Quebec. Such an event could also benefit local merchants.
In short, between those who are for and those who are against, it’s a real… political match!
According to an article by Alexandre Robillard, Le Devoir
Caroline Bouffard
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