hamilton tigercats

Birthday Greetings and Ticats Support in Milton

Mike Cluett

Before I get started I wanted to wish my Dad a Happy Birthday.  Last year at this time we were all in Newfoundland for his birthday and this year he got to see me on TV so… its almost good enough.  Happy Birthday Dad.

First off a big thanks goes out to everyone who has called, emailed or tweeted me in the last few hours.  Ever since posting yesterdays blog, I have been inundated with support from people both in Milton AND from Hamilton of all places.

I’m going to try to get the video uploaded of tonight’s CHCH News at 6 show where they had a brief interview with both myself and Mayor Gord Krantz about Milton taking a stab at getting the CFL franchise and the Pan Am stadium for 2015.  The idea came to me after I heard the news from Bob Young that he was pulling the organization from the negotiation table about any option for a stadium in Milton.

As a fan, I wondered where would they go?  Quebec?  Moncton?  Definitely viable options for the team but  as a fan, Id lose.  And so would the hundreds of thousands of TigerCat/CFL fans in southern Ontario.  Then I thought…why not Milton?  And it grew from there. 

I gave Milton Mayor Gord Krantz a call to see what would have to be done to get the ball rolling.  After a long conversation, the wheels were set in motion.  From what Ive heard today, there has been contact with the team and they are definitely intrigued at the idea of moving 30 minutes north. 

Both of us wanted to get the point out as well, that we’re not looking to steal the Ticats away.  We both (as well as many of the supporters of the idea) want them to stay in Hamilton.  As I said in the interview “Hamilton is the TigerCats and the TigerCats are Hamilton” 

Will this happen overnight?  Not likely.  There are so many things that can happen to derail any of these options…best of one would be that the TiCats and the City of Hamilton come to some workable arrangement and keep the Cats in Steeltown.  But if not, we have a home for them in Milton and we’ll do what we can to make it work.

There’s a Facebook group up and running on this … isnt there always?  Please click here and join to show your support or start a discussion.

While you’re at it, you can join my campaign Facebook group as well to stay on top of campaign happenings for Ward 6.  There is very little time left before nominations close and in the next 10-15 days anything can happen.

Im looking forward to the next 70 plus days before election day…meeting as many people as possible and discussing issues like this and others that are important to you.  Call, email or tweet me anytime.

Until then, I’ll see you at the doors.

Milton TigerCats? Its Possible & Here’s How

Mike Cluett

Town Of Milton Should Pursue Pan Am Stadium and Tiger Cats CFL Franchise

The City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Tiger Cats franchise are embroiled in a controversy that might result in the beloved CFL franchise to leave Hamilton forever. 

At the heart of the dispute is the location of the stadium to be constructed for the 2015 Pan Am Games, a stadium that would end up being the home of the Tiger Cats franchise.  Caretaker Bob Young, successful Hamilton businessman and the person responsible for bringing the Ti Cats back from the brink of bankruptcy over the past several years, wants to build a stadium on an east mountain location in Hamilton.  By having the stadium there, it would be able to locate a state of the art facility as well as much needed parking that their current location at Ivor Wynne doesn’t allow for. 

The City of Hamilton wants to locate the new stadium at the west harbour location of Hamilton near Barton and Bay Street.  For several months now there have been negotiations between the City of Hamilton and the Tiger Cats franchise to come to a solution and none has been met.  Yesterday, the owner of the Tiger Cats Bob Young, issued a letter saying that seeing how they can’t come to a resolution on the location, he notified the Mayor and City Council that they will play out the remainder of this season and 2011 and find another location, possibly outside Hamilton.

The Tiger Cats have been a part of Hamilton for over a hundred years and this would deal a severe blow to the local economy.  Both sides seem steadfast in their ideas and it looks like the Tiger Cats CFL franchise will be looking for a new home.  Personally as a Tiger Cats fan for many years, it would be heart breaking to see them move to other locations including Quebec or Moncton NB.  I would like to provide the Tiger Cats owners and the Pan Am officials a backup plan…a plan that can work for all parties involved.

This is where Milton comes in.  The Town of Milton has the available land to house such a facility available for Pan Am officials and the Tiger Cats to consider.  There are many benefits for all parties involved to consider Milton as a viable location for the Pan Am games AND becoming the new home for the Tiger Cats Franchise.  The potential location would be on the west side of the 401 Industrial Park in Milton.

By having it there the games and the franchise have easy highway access to Toronto (45 minutes) downtown Kitchener / Waterloo / Cambridge (30 minutes) and residents of Hamilton as well (30 minutes)

Here’s how it can work.

Why Milton as a Pan Am Games partner? 

  • Willing host
  • Proposed site could be easily rezoned for stadium purpose
  • Located 20 to 40 minutes from all other Pan Am Games venues
  • Located on west side of Greater Toronto Area
  • Located 20 minutes from Pearson International Airport
  • Proposed stadium site is located on with easy access to Highway 401, North America’s busiest superhighway
  • Proposed site alongside Highway 401 would make it highest visibility Pan Am venue in Canada
  • Located 20 minutes from Q.E.W. and 10 minutes from Highway 407
  • Located in an area with more than six million Ontarians
  • Well supported by local hotels, restaurants, general goods merchants and service industry; high-quality municipal services, well-trained workforce
  • Easy media access

Why Milton as a Hamilton Tiger-Cats partner?

  • Willing host
  • Most Milton CFL fans are Hamilton Tiger-Cat supporters
  • Proposed site could be easily rezoned for stadium purpose
  • Proposed site still reasonably close for many current seasons’ ticket holders to commute to
  • Proposed site alongside Highway 401 would make it highest visibility CFL stadium in Canada
  • Located 20 minutes from Pearson International Airport
  • Located on and easy access to Highway 401, North America’s busiest superhighway
  • Located 20 minutes from Q.E.W. and 10 minutes from Highway 407
  • Located in an area with more than six million Ontarians
  • Well supported by local hotels, restaurants, general goods merchants and service industry; high-quality municipal services, well-trained workforce
  • Easy media access

 Why west side of 401 Industrial Park?

  • Proposed site could be easily rezoned for stadium purpose
  • Located 20 minutes from Pearson International Airport
  • Located on and easy access to Highway 401, North America’s busiest superhighway
  • Located 20 minutes from Q.E.W. and 10 minutes from Highway 407
  • Located in an area with more than six million Ontarians
  • Well supported by local hotels, restaurants, general goods merchants and service industry; high-quality municipal services, well-trained workforce

I talked directly with Milton Mayor Gord Krantz early this morning, he will be directing town staff and the economic development department to work on getting a preliminary proposal prepared for review and possibly present to the Pan Am officials and the Tiger Cats franchise.  The Town of Milton is no stranger to the Pan Am committee as just recently they were involved with other municipalities to look at Milton being an option to have locations for the Pan Am games in 2015.

Milton has been Canada’s fastest growing municipality for the last 3 years and will be the “go to” location for businesses from around the region, the province and the country.  We have the ability to take on something like this and put Milton further on the map.

Nothing is written in stone but the play has been called and the time clock is running.  Can a Hail Mary save the Tiger Cats franchise and keep it in southern Ontario or will an icon in Canadian sports history be forever lost.

Stay tuned, this will be a fun ride.  I’ll see you at the doors.