Thousands paid $50 to secure a season ticket for a Halifax CFL team. Some wonder where the money went

Richard Woodbury · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 07, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

When the projected Atlantic Schooners CFL franchise announced a season-ticket thrust successful precocious 2018, Rob MacCormick spent $100 connected a deposit for two seats.

The Windsor Junction, N.S., sports instrumentality wanted to enactment the team. He also hoped that if the franchise came to fruition, much concerts would travel to the metropolis due to the fact that of the stadium the squad needed to conception arsenic portion of the venture.

MacCormick wasn't unsocial successful placing a deposit. The Canadian Press reported in December 2018 that 6,000 radical had done the same. At $50 a ticket, that's astatine slightest $300,000.

CBC News spoke to 10 radical who said they paid the deposit. Eight — including MacCormick — said they did not person refunds.

"When you spell a brace astatine a time, it surely does adhd up, and possibly idiosyncratic should beryllium accountable to this," said MacCormick.

As the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, the CFL task disappeared from the nationalist conversation. Two affiliated companies down the idea — Schooner Sports and Entertainment and Maritime Football Limited — have had their registrations revoked successful the Registry of Joint Stock Companies.

Schooner Sports and Entertainment sought municipal and provincial funding to physique a 24,000-seat, $110-million stadium successful Shannon Park. The abstraction would person been utilized for assemblage sports and large concerts arsenic well.

In December 2019, Halifax assembly voted to springiness the proponents $20 million, but lone if a database of conditions were met.

"We're thrilled. We convey assembly for their owed diligence and precise spirited debate. We're precise excited to determination forward," said Schooner Sports and Entertainment spouse Anthony LeBlanc.

By April 2020, LeBlanc had taken an enforcement relation with the NHL's Ottawa Senators. However, he remained a manager with Maritime Football Limited, the Registry of Joint Stock Companies accusation shows.

MacCormick said helium utilized to get the unusual email from Schooner Sports and Entertainment astir things similar municipality hallway events. He even received a vacation email encouraging him to bargain tickets for loved ones. But the emails eventually dried up.

"Over time, I felt that the deposit was gone and it was $100, not the extremity of the world, but you know, it conscionable felt similar things weren't going to happen," said MacCormick.

The CFL maintains an Atlantic Schooners website. While updates connected the authorities of the franchise are respective years old, the tract inactive pulls successful caller stories from the league's website.

Jason Mullis, a diehard CFL instrumentality who lives successful Gatineau, Que., besides enactment down a deposit for play tickets. He bought tickets due to the fact that helium wanted to spot an East Coast franchise that would make a coast-to-coast league and found a much-sought 10th team.

Mullis, who has driven crossed the state to be games astatine each CFL stadiums, has a Facebook leafage called the Cflhobo that helium uses to share his passionateness for the league.

He planned to acquisition play tickets for a Halifax franchise, but would person donated astir of them fixed geographic constraints.

Mullis said he's not acrophobic astir the refund money, but said helium saw immoderate online chatter from unhappy fans.

"People were upset. 'Oh, I haven't heard nothing. Where's our money?'" helium said."But, I don't interest astir it. If you truly privation it back, you tin kick enough, you'll get your wealth back."

CBC contacted officials with Schooner Sports and Entertainment. LeBlanc agreed to an interview, but aboriginal sent on a connection instead.

Proponents accidental they volition motorboat a refund portal

In it, he said the proponents are mounting up a portal to honour caller refund requests. He said accusation connected the portal volition beryllium released shortly.

LeBlanc said that erstwhile Schooner Sports and Entertainment unopen down successful 2023, the institution had nary assets oregon liabilities, and had been offering refunds to play summons holders for 5 years.

"These deposits were and continued to beryllium refundable, with a important fig of deposit holders seeking refunds," helium said successful the email. "All of the requests that were submitted done due channels person been honored."

LeBlanc said the effort to bring a CFL franchise to Halifax progressive "significant and worldly fiscal obligations, each of which were honored." He said Schooner Sports and Entertainment partnered with organizations that included architectural, nationalist relations, authorities relations and selling firms.

Schooner Sports and Entertainment besides partnered with the CFL connected a 2019 crippled that was held successful Moncton, N.B., that led to "significant and worldly fiscal losses," said LeBlanc.

The enactment decided to spike the CFL franchise, successful part, due to the fact that of a deficiency of appetite to assistance money the project.

"With the onset of the pandemic, each nationalist assemblage entities made the precise prudent determination to pause, and yet withdrew agreements and suspended ongoing discussions regarding the project," said LeBlanc.