Minister says B.C. government won’t buy Whitecaps, but will help MLS team cut costs

VICTORIA — British Columbia’s government said it is working with the Vancouver Whitecaps to help the team lower costs and generate more revenue at BC Place, but it won’t be buying the Major League Soccer team to prevent it from leaving the city.

The Whitecaps issued a statement on Monday saying stadium economics, venue access, and revenue limitations that have made it difficult to attract buyers committed to keeping the team in Vancouver.

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber said the situation around the stadium has become “critical.”

The Athletic reported Monday that the league told other team owners that it is exploring relocation of the Whitecaps, with Las Vegas being the top candidate.

Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s minister of jobs and economic growth, said Tuesday that the team is now using the stadium at no cost, and any breaks that the team gets this year could be extended for another year.

“Not only that, but we also heard from them that the cost for them to operate in our stadium was higher than some others,” he said. “(We) have been going through a process with them over the last few months to review all the other stadium agreements in North America, so we can assess where we land.”

The Whitecaps and the provincial government — which owns BC Place through the provincial Crown corporation PavCo — signed a one-year lease earlier this year, which annually returns to the club up to as much as $1.5 million that the province makes from hosting the games.

Kahlon said the decision will put the team in a “much better place” compared with many stadiums in North America.

The minister is a longtime season-ticket holder and said the province has also helped the team generate more revenue from concession sales and advertising, adding that the government is also open to exploring other revenue sources as part of a long-term deal.

Garber confirmed reports that Las Vegas could be an option if the team relocates, saying that the league had received a bid from that city.

The commissioner expressed hope that the Whitecaps could find a way to remain in Vancouver, adding that Las Vegas could also receive an expansion franchise.

But Garber said that the situation at BC Place has become untenable.

“It’s reaching a critical point,” Garber said Tuesday during a meeting with Associated Press sports editors in New York.

Kahlon said the government has supported the team through tough times, and it wants to make sure it stays in Vancouver, now that it ranks among the best teams in MLS.

“If there are some genuine things that they (the owners) need done to keep the team here, we want to see that happen,” he said.

The team, which has been for sale since December 2024, has said in a statement that it faces “well-documented” challenges around stadium access and revenue.

It says these challenges have made it difficult to find a local buyer, adding that no “viable offer has emerged that would keep the club here” following “serious conversations” with more than 100 parties over the past 16 months.

Kahlon said the province would like to see the team keep playing in BC Place, but added that it would also support a move to another stadium on the east side of Vancouver.

In late 2025, Vancouver and the team signed a memorandum of understanding to explore a new stadium and entertainment district at Hastings Park. The agreement establishes an exclusive negotiation period through the end of 2026.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said in a release that the province and the Whitecaps “must sign a bridge deal” that will allow BC Place to “become viable in the near term while a new stadium can be designed and built.”

Sim also called on the team’s current ownership “to publicly and clearly articulate what they need to stay here in Vancouver” and for the provincial government “to come to the table and make that a reality.”

Fans, meanwhile, have set up a website in the hope of swaying decision makers to keep the team in Vancouver.

“I appreciate the fans of the Whitecaps, and I understand their frustrations,” Kahlon said.

Sim urged fans to “keep the fight” going. “We need you to stay strong, and we need you to stay loud.”

– with files from The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2026.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press