Over 400 businesses sign pledge to help keep Whitecaps in Vancouver

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade says more than 400 businesses have signed an open letter pledging support to keep the Vancouver Whitecaps from leaving town.

The campaign, which launched 10 days ago, asks businesses to join in "the private sector's commitment to helping the club bridge its current revenue gap" through sponsorships, partnerships, and group ticket programs.

"For more than 50 years, the Vancouver Whitecaps have been a pillar of our community, and the business community is sending a clear message: we want them to stay," said board of trade president and CEO Bridgitte Anderson.

The Whitecaps have been for sale since December 2024, and an investor group recently submitted a bid to Major League Soccer (MLS) seeking to buy the club and move it to Las Vegas, adding urgency to efforts to keep the franchise in Vancouver.

On Wednesday, officials from the federal, provincial and municipal governments, local First Nations, the Whitecaps, MLS and FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani were said to be meeting with potential investors to discuss saving the team.

“The fundamental problem we face is that the team needs a buyer and the owners want to sell," B.C. Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon said Wednesday.

Province unveils upgrades at B.C. Place ahead of FIFA World Cup

Kahlon said the province, through the Whitecaps' revamped one-year lease deal with B.C. Place stadium — which is owned by the province, through the Crown corporation PavCo — had already handed the team an extra $2.5 million this year, as well as" additional revenue opportunities."

The club has cited revenue limitations at B.C. Place as a hurdle in attracting a local buyer while exploring building a soccer-specific stadium at Hastings Park in East Vancouver.