Kevin Glenn.

BY PERRY LEFKO
sportsnet.ca

Three municipalities within close proximity to Hamilton have contacted Tiger-Cats’ owner Bob Young about moving his team and building a stadium for it, sources tell Sporstnet.

It’s believed the municipalities are Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga, and that Young will announce what he plans to do with his team some time next week. If Young decides to move the team, Burlington is likely the frontrunner, sources say.

The cities contacted Young earlier this week when it was announced that Edmonton Oilers’ owner Daryl Katz and partners AEG Live wanted to create an infrastructure in the area that the city wants to build the new stadium for the 2015 Pan Am Games, along with buying some city-owned facilities, such as Copps Coliseum.

It all came as a bombshell to Young, sources say, who only found out about the development with Katz and the City the day before it became public.

It effectively undermined the facilitation process that had been going on between the city and Young over the stadium site. Young wants a stadium built near the highway for great accessibility and amenities for parking, along with greater visibility for a company wishing to buy naming rights. Overall, there have been some 10 sites proposed.

It would take at least two years for a new stadium to be built, which would mean Young would keep the Ticats at its current home, Ivor Wynne Stadium.

The City has been criticized for naming a site without having a business plan.

It had been hoped the facilitator, Michael Fenn, who was hired on May 18, would bring the sides closer together, but apparently they are further apart than ever. The deadline for all parties to come to an agreement is July 8, otherwise the Pan Am Games committee would seek another location.

Varsity Stadium in Toronto has been rumoured as the likely site.

Apparently, Fenn is angry with Hamilton mayor Fred Eisenberg, who indicated a couple of weeks ago at a charity fundraiser he had an owner for the Ticats, even though Young never publicly stated it is for sale and, in fact, he is stubbornly clinging to the franchise.

Sources say as soon as the Katz development became public, it caused chaos in Hamilton and potentially put the City in risk of losing a shot at a stadium and losing the Ticats.

Young, a billionaire Hamilton native who lives in North Carolina., bought the team after the 2003 season from the CFL for $2 million. He has lost an estimated $5 million each year that he’s operated the team due to a financial decline in Hamilton and fan indifference to the team, which has struggled with Young due to mistakes he has madeoperating the franchise.

Young has not had a winning season, although last year the Ticats showed signs they could be a strong contender this year.

According to sources, Young isn’t the only sports owner in Hamilton that is upset with the developments earlier this week. Michael Andlauer, who owns the Hamilton Bulldogs, feels undermined because similar to Young he found out about the City’s dealings with Katz only when everyone else did.

It has also been suggested the National Hockey League is livid that its name has been dragged into the whole Hamilton situation. Katz is currently involved in a dispute with the city of Edmonton over a new arena to replace Northlands Coliseum, and it was rumoured that he might transfer the franchise to Hamilton for leverage, even though he would run into stiff opposition from the NHL, which has to approve franchise move not to mention the opposition a such a move would face from Buffalo and Toronto.