By The Canadian Press

PavCo’s ‘net zero’ offer to keep Whitecaps at B.C. Place is insufficient: team CEO

Feb 3, 2026 | 12:02 PM

British Columbia’s minister of economic growth says the latest offer to keep the Vancouver Whitecaps playing at B.C. Place Stadium would see the Crown corporation that owns and operates the facility “operating at net zero.”

But the team’s CEO says the proposal for extra money “isn’t the game changer that is needed for long-term sustainability” for the Major League Soccer team.

Minister Ravi Kahlon said Tuesday that PavCo makes approximately $1 million to $1.5 million in profit each year from hosting the Whitecaps, and the latest offer, which emerged from a meeting between the two sides on Monday, would return all of that revenue to the club.

“We believe that by returning those profits, and giving them a new contract that essentially has them operating at net zero, that should make the proposition of them wanting to stay much better,” he said.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC CEO Axel Schuster issued a statement later Tuesday saying that while he appreciates the province’s efforts, the offer is not enough.

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“Unfortunately our gap between being top seven in attendance and last in revenue is so significant that this effort alone isn’t the game changer that is needed for long-term sustainability,” Schuster said.

“We are committed to working collaboratively to identify solutions that ensure the long-term home of Whitecaps FC in Vancouver.”

The team’s director of communications later clarified that the offer had not yet been formally declined.

The minister said the proposed deal would also provide “additional revenue opportunities” for the team, like options around naming rights or charging for parking.

The two sides have been negotiating a new lease for the 55,000-seat downtown stadium, while the team has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Vancouver to explore building a new stadium on the city’s eastern edge.

Kahlon said there has so far been no request for government money to build a new stadium, but that the province is open to working with the team if that’s the route they choose.

He said changes to the soccer season mean more games in cold weather, which makes stadiums with closed roofs, like B.C. Place, valuable. Starting with the 2027-28 season, Major League Soccer will adopt a fall-to-spring calendar.

Both the Whitecaps and MLS commissioner Don Garber have said continuing under the existing B.C. Place agreement isn’t sustainable because of limited scheduling flexibility and restricted revenue from food and beverage sales.

Kahlon, who has been a Whitecaps season ticket holder for more than 11 years, said there is no deadline for the team to respond to PavCo’s latest offer.

“We have to balance two things. One, our desire and want to keep the Whitecaps here, but also ensuring that taxpayers are protected. I don’t think the taxpayers want us bankrolling professional soccer teams, but when there’s one-time supports that the team needs, we’re happy to consider them,” he said.

The team’s current ownership group put the Whitecaps for sale at the end of 2024.

On Saturday, MLS executive vice president Dan Courtemanche issued a statement saying “operational constraints around scheduling and venue access have intensified in 2026, creating untenable conditions for a major league club, with no clear path forward to resolving these challenges in future years.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2026

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press