BC Lions, City of Kamloops in talks as training camp contract comes to an end

There is a chance this spring will mark the end of the BC Lions’ 15-year run holding training camp in the Tournament Capital, but the team and the city are both hopeful the partnership will continue.

The City of Kamloops is in talks with the CFL club to extend the deal, but the current contract expires at the end of next month.

“We’re optimistic they will be back, but nothing has been signed yet,” Sean Smith, the city’s Tournament Capital and special events supervisor, told Castanet Kamloops. “But we’re definitely talking.”

Matt Baker, the Lions’ senior manager of communications, said the team is also optimistic.

Although we don’t have a contract that commits us past this year, I believe our intention is to keep going,” he stated.

Since 2010, the Leos have held their spring camp in Kamloops, utilising Hillside Stadium, the Tournament Capital Centre, and additional facilities located on the Thompson Rivers University campus. Every May, the team arranges a camp in Kamloops for over 100 individuals, who remain for nearly a month.

For hosting the camp, the City of Kamloops pays the team $55,000 year in exchange for in-game advertisements at BC Place. The economic output has been valued by the city at approximately $300,000 annually for the local economy.

It’s less than a month till training camp. The rookie camp begins on