Why Not Canada: Quebec City
WHY NOT CANADA? | HAMILTON | QUEBEC CITY | TORONTO | WINNIPEG
Why Not Quebec City? (Friday)
There was a time when the Nordiques dared to challenge Montreal for the hearts of hockey-mad Quebecers. Then reality kicked in.
Rising player salaries and a weak Canadian dollar, combined with being the smallest market in the NHL, were too much for the Nordiques to overcome. And like the Winnipeg Jets, they played in an aging building.
Full Story | City Snapshot
PROFESSOR O'REILLY'S SCORECARD for QUEBEC CITY
At TSN's request, Professor Norm O'Reilly developed a grading system for what makes an NHL team viable. Here's how Quebec City did.
| Market Attractiveness |
Franchise Viability |
| Economy: B- |
Arena and Location: A+ |
| Demographics: C |
Competition and Barriers to Entry: A+ |
| Market size: C |
Potential Owner: (Quebecor, CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau) A |
| Corporate presence: C+ |
|
QUEBEC CITY'S FINAL GRADE: B+
What Professor O'Reilly says: "A team in Quebec City can work. There are a number of challenges to overcome. If you make the assumption that a public stadium is built, that’s to the nines, that makes it easier. Then you’d need an ownership group willing to put money in and lose a bit, take a risk in the long term. You’d need a savvy management team that can fit the team into a market that is still attached to the Canadiens."
Note: O'Reilly's evaluations are based on his own background and knowledge of the subject, transcripts of interviews done by TSN/Globe and Mail for this series and data collected from various sources including Statistics Canada, the Conference Board of Canada, Environics Analytics, IMI and Harris-Decima.
By The Numbers: Quebec City
Quebec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec - after Montreal. As of the 2006 Canadian Census, the city has a population of 491,142, and the metropolitan area has a population of 715,515.
Quebec City is one of the oldest cities in North America. The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec are the only remaining fortified city walls that still exist in the Americas north of Mexico.
Head Offices
* Does not include surrounding communities
Dollars Spent Per Citizen
Notes: Quebec, Winnipeg and Hamilton revenue based on 2008-09 average of Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton
* Does not include surrounding communities
Metro Population
Note: Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Burlington and Oakville bring market value to 1,630,352
Percentage Of Population (Age 24-39)
* Does not include surrounding communities
Median Income
Revenue/Gate Receipts/Profits From 2008-09 (Six Canadian NHL Cities)
