A frontrunner, not yet a franchise
Quebec City has moved to the front of the Canadian Football League’s expansion process, with commissioner Stewart Johnston describing it Friday as the leading candidate for the league’s potential 10th franchise. The statement represents the clearest public indication yet that the capital is being seriously considered for a return to the CFL, but it stops well short of an announcement.
Johnston said the league has held what he called productive discussions with a local ownership group. He acknowledged visiting Quebec City, meeting with people connected to the prospective bid and touring a possible venue for a team. The commissioner declined to identify the group’s leader. Real estate developer William Trudel has previously spoken with Quebec media about his interest in pursuing a CFL club, while Mayor Bruno Marchand has publicly backed the project.
“We are encouraged by those, and we can say that Quebec City has emerged as the leading contender for the 10th franchise in the CFL.”
Johnston repeatedly emphasized that the process is still in its assessment phase. The league has not formally awarded a team, and he offered no launch date or indication of when a franchise could begin play. He said the CFL wants to complete its due diligence and follow the proper sequence before making further commitments.
What is known about the proposal
| Issue | What the CFL has said |
|---|---|
| Expansion status | Quebec City is the leading candidate for a 10th team |
| Ownership | Talks are under way with a local group, whose leader has not been identified |
| Timing | No target date has been announced |
| Venue | A new stadium would be required, though Telus Stadium is being considered |
The stadium question is likely to remain central to the proposal. The source report says a new stadium would need to be built for a Quebec City franchise, while Johnston indicated he was open to considering Telus Stadium, the home of the Laval Rouge et Or. The comments do not establish whether that facility could ultimately host a CFL team or whether a separate project would proceed. They do, however, place venue planning alongside ownership and league review as a key condition of the bid.
A possible provincial rivalry
For the league, Quebec City offers a combination of factors Johnston described as attractive: a strong football culture, positive population growth and a favourable economic environment in the region. He also pointed to the support expressed by the mayor and the city’s experience hosting major events. Those considerations have helped create momentum around the proposal, even as the commissioner warned that momentum is not the same as approval.
A team would give the Montreal Alouettes a natural Quebec-based rival, adding a new provincial dimension to the CFL schedule and bringing the league back to a 10-team format. The league last expanded in 2014, when the Ottawa Redblacks joined as its ninth club. Since then, officials have continued to discuss adding another Canadian market, but no 10th team has been announced.
Quebec City is not the only market still under consideration. Johnston confirmed that the CFL remains in contact with other Canadian cities, and the league has declined to provide an update on Halifax, which has previously been identified as a possible destination. That leaves the wider expansion field open, despite the capital’s apparent advantage.
For residents, Friday’s comments mark an important shift from speculation to a publicly acknowledged league process. The project now has visible political support and a named local business figure associated with the idea, but significant questions remain about ownership, the playing site and the timing. Johnston’s message was encouraging but deliberately measured: Quebec City is in the lead, but the CFL has not yet crossed the line to a formal expansion decision.
- Quebec City is the CFL’s current leading candidate for a 10th franchise.
- The league is conducting discussions with a prospective local ownership group.
- No team, stadium plan or start date has been officially confirmed.
