If the past few weeks have shown Vancouver anything, it’s the power of sport to bring people together.
As thousands of fans gather to cheer on Canada and nations from around the world during the FIFA World Cup, another dream is quietly gaining momentum: bringing Major League Baseball to Vancouver.
The group behind the push is called The Show Vancouver Bid Corporation, and it recently released an open letter signed by 147 British Columbians in support of bringing an MLB expansion team to Vancouver.
But what makes the letter notable is not just the number of names attached to it. It’s who those names represent.
A broad show of support for Vancouver baseball
The open letter describes Major League Baseball in Vancouver as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” and says the city has the “passion, diversity, and global profile” to support a team for generations.
It also frames an MLB team as a long-term investment in Metro Vancouver’s future, with potential benefits for jobs, tourism and economic activity.
While the letter does not mean Vancouver is getting a team, it does send a clear message: support for the idea extends well beyond one investor, one company or one political circle. That matters.
Major sports bids are not only about money. They are also about market confidence, civic alignment and whether a city can show that people across sectors are willing to get behind the idea.
In that sense, this letter feels less like a formal announcement and more like a public signal of civic confidence.
Who signed the letter?
The list includes former premiers, business leaders, sports figures, cultural voices, tourism executives, hospitality operators, community leaders and former professional baseball players.
Some of the names include:
- Christy Clark, Gordon Campbell and Mike Harcourt, former premiers of BC
- Justin Morneau, Jeff Francis and Aaron Guiel, former MLB players
- Stacy Fournier, head coach of Team BC Women’s and Girls High Performance Baseball Programs
- Bridgitte Anderson, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
- Tamara Vrooman, Vancouver International Airport
- Carol Lee, Vancouver Chinatown Foundation
- Neesha Hothi, 5X Festival
- Samantha Chang, BC Sports Hall of Fame trustee and co-host of The Broadcast
- Jane Talbot, Downtown Van
- Nicole Robson, Surrey Hospitals Foundation
- Joslyn Young, Surrey and White Rock Board of Trade
- David Hawksworth, Hawksworth
- Royce Chwin, Destination Vancouver
- Jaswinder Singh Bains, better known as Jazzy B, Canadian singer, songwriter and actor
- Brad West, Mayor of Port Coquitlam
- Chip Wilson, Lululemon Founder
It is a diverse list that stretches across politics, business, sports, hospitality, arts, culture and community organizations.
Why civic confidence matters
Vancouver has long been talked about as a potential MLB city.
The region has the population, the international profile and a strong sports culture. It also has a long baseball history, from the Vancouver Canadians to generations of local players, coaches and fans who have helped grow the game in BC.
But dreaming about a team and landing a team are very different things.
An MLB franchise would require significant investment, a serious ownership group, a stadium plan and support from multiple levels of government and business. None of that happens overnight. That is why this type of public letter matters.
It does not answer every question. It does not tell us where a stadium would go, who would own the team or how the project would be financed. That is all to come out soon as the political process is currently going on.
But it does show that a growing group of prominent British Columbians wants Vancouver to be taken seriously in the MLB conversation.
Vancouver is thinking bigger
The letter also comes at a time when Vancouver is already proving it can host major international sports moments. We knew this all along, but we seemed to have forgotten how great of a City we are. The world came to our doorstep and reminded us.
From packed patios to watch parties and public gatherings, the city has shown again how sport can create shared experiences across neighbourhoods, cultures and generations.
That same sense of connection is at the heart of the MLB pitch.
A baseball team would not just be about 81 home games. It would be about summer nights, downtown energy, tourism, neighbourhood pride and giving another generation of fans something local to rally around.
For now, Vancouver is still very much in the early stages of this conversation.
There are major questions ahead, and the city is not alone. Other markets are also expected to pursue MLB expansion.
Still, this open letter is a meaningful step.
It shows that the idea of Major League Baseball in Vancouver is no longer just quiet speculation.
It is becoming a public campaign backed by a wide cross-section of British Columbians who believe the city should take its swing.
