OTTAWA, Ontario  (Oct 10, 2012) –  “City Council’s final approval of the City’s partnership with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group marks the beginning of the new Lansdowne Park and a day to remember for all Ottawa sports fans.”
 
These words from OSEG partner Roger Greenberg following today’s 21-3 vote in favour of the reports and legal arrangements finalizing the partnership.
 
Today’s decision marks a major step forward for Ottawa’s membership in the Canadian Football League, the North American Soccer League and the Ontario Hockey League.  The project remains on target to see the stadium and rink complete for the 2014 CFL season, the 2014 NASL season and the start of the 2014-15 OHL season.
 
There was a unified expression of support and exhilaration from all three leagues impacted by today’s vote.
 
Mark Cohon is the Commissioner of the Canadian Football League: “This is a great day.  I want to thank the City of Ottawa, and congratulate the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group on today’s positive Council vote.  This clears the way for the CFL to return to the Nation’s Capital as early as 2014, returning Ottawa to its rightful place within our league, and adding to our ranks a top-notch organization that will make its community proud and our league even stronger.   The leadership shown today bodes very well for a bright future for the CFL in Ottawa and our league’s standing as both an exciting product and an important source of Canadian culture and unity.”
 
NASL Commissioner David Downs: “We welcome the news today that the City Council has given its final approval for the stadium project and that our Ottawa team will soon have its permanent home in Lansdowne Park.  We’re looking forward to Ottawa’s on-field contribution to the NASL in 2014 and are confident that the city’s soccer fans will support the club in style.”
 
And David Branch is the Commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League: “Congratulations to Jeff Hunt, his partners in the Lansdowne project and the great sports fans in Ottawa.  The 67’s have been a model franchise for all Canadian Hockey League teams to emulate, and we’re delighted to know they’ll soon be playing in a spectacularly rejuvenated Lansdowne Park.”