MLSE on welfare?

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When Ontario Tourism and Sport Minister Michael Chan was in Toronto to help Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment announce the Raptors will be hosting the 2016 NBA all-star game, he neglected to mention the province would be pitching in a half-million dollars.

Melissa Raftis has reactionto the Liberal’s largesse.

It turns out the Ontario government quietly gave MLSE $500,000 to help host the game.

The Liberals never issued a news release to announce the funding from its “Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster” program. The Canadian taxpayers federation says Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment was recently valued at $2.25 billion, and quote “doesn’t exactly need corporate welfare.” On Monday, MLSE announced they had hired hired Toronto rapper Drake as a new “global ambassador for the Raptor’s brand. Thursday, Minister Chan said the organization came forward with a proposal and the government had teams to assess the requested funding. Looking at it from all angles. But Conservative MPP Doug Holyday says the move wasn’t necessary.

“There was the economic benefit the tourist and all over benefits and on a very very humble scale we decided to partner with Toronto, partner with Tourism Toronto and perhaps some sponsors to support the game. I think it’s a great thing to do.”

Premier Kathleen Wynne: “This is part of what we do as a government to enhance tourism and bring people to the province.”

Doug Holyday: “Well, they can find money when they want to do something. In this case, they want to have entry into some of the events and have some ties to it but I don’t think it’s necessary to give thousands of dollars to one of the worlds most successful sports franchise let alone a basketball association. I think they have their own they will do this event without any money from us.”

MLSE is predicting the NBA all-star game will generate around $100-million for Toronto.