Québec arena should get federal funds, says Olympic committee chief

Marcel Aubut says that the arena could help the city land the 2018 winter games.

The head of the Canadian Olympic Committee has waded into the controversy surrounding a proposed hockey arena in Québec City, saying it could double as the home of a future NHL franchise and a venue for the 2018 Olympic Games. Signals from the federal government suggest the Conservatives are prepared to spend $175-million on the arena, angering Western Canadians who have been asking for federal funds to rebuild their sports facilities for years. Some critics accuse Stephen Harper of pandering to Québec voters. The NHL’s Nordiques left Québec City in 1995. Aubut is a former president of the hockey team, and is now heading the city’s bid to capture the 2018 Olympics.