Bob Mackin
The Vancouver Whitecaps could bring Major League Soccer back to Hastings Park.
But not to the Empire Field site, where they launched in 2011 and where the North American Soccer League franchise played from 1974 to 1983.
Hastings Racecourse on Oct. 12, 2024 (Mackin)
The Whitecaps’ ownership confirmed in an early evening statement on April 4 that they are “currently in discussion with the City of Vancouver regarding the construction of a stadium at the PNE fairgrounds site.”
A source told theBreaker.news that the two parties have a memorandum of understanding to explore building a soccer-specific stadium at Hastings Racecourse.
Hastings Racecourse has operated as a thoroughbred horseracing venue since 1892. Slot machines were added in 2008, but it has not lived up to expectations for leaseholder Great Canadian Gaming.
Where would that leave horseracing? The president of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of B.C. is wondering.
“Nobody has talked to us,” Dave Milburn told theBreaker.news. “It’s shocking to hear that this is being contemplated without any notice or our group being informed.”
Last December, the Greg Kerfoot-controlled Whitecaps announced they retained Goldman Sachs to find a new owner. The club has a sweetheart lease at B.C. Place Stadium, where B.C. Pavilion Corporation keeps the food and beverage revenue. B.C. Place is undergoing a $109 million renovation demanded by FIFA in order to host seven matches during the 2026 World Cup.
A source told theBreaker.news that a new stadium deal could be the catalyst to complete the sale of the club. The Hastings Racecourse land could be transferred to the Whitecaps’ new owner, who would be responsible for financing the stadium project.
The announcement by the Whitecaps comes on the eve of a civic by-election. Two seats are up for grabs.
Mayor Ken Sim’s 2022 ABC Vancouver campaign included a photo op in the Hastings grandstand. But not to discuss the ponies. He is in favour of expanding SkyTrain under or over Hastings Street and onward to North Vancouver.
A new stadium would be a logical magnet for a station.
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