Kingston in competition for a Premier Soccer Team

Mayor Paterson asked public for comments on the Memorial Centre soccer stadium proposal on Instagram

Kingston is not mentioned in this CBC piece (November 8, 2024) as a possible site for a Canadian Premier Soccer League team. The listed cities are: Edmonton, AB, Laval, QC, Kelowna, BC, Kitchener, ON, Waterloo, ON, Windsor, ON, Quebec City, QC, Saskatoon, SK, and the Toronto area.

In the CBC piece, Mark Noonan, the Canadian Premier League commissioner, identified these criteria for the cities that will be chosen for two new teams to begin play in 2026: “An appropriate playing facility, a strong ownership group, a supportive municipality, corporate sponsorship and youth soccer and fan engagement are among the criteria for an expansion team.”

Mayor Paterson invited comments from the public in a video on Instagram.

The text of the Mayor’s script accompanying the video reads:

“As we kick off the new year, there’s a BIG proposal on the table for the Memorial Centre. ⚽🏟️

The City has been approached with an idea for a new soccer stadium on the northeast corner of the Memorial Centre property. It would house a Canadian Premier League team, host semi-professional games, and serve local sports groups. City Council is set to discuss this proposal at our Jan. 14 meeting, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in advance. Do you support a new soccer stadium at the Memorial Centre? If so, under what conditions? Let’s talk about it!

Please vote in the poll (on Instagram) and provide your thoughts in the comments (on Instagram and Facebook)- what would make this project work/not work for you and Kingston?”

As not everyone is on Instagram or Facebook, the Mayor can be reached by email.

Find emails for city councillors here.