Chilliwack City Council reaffirms support for bringing a WHL franchise to Chilliwack

CHILLIWACK – The City of Chilliwack has released a statement on behalf of Mayor Ken Popove and all six councillors reiterating their support for bringing a Western Hockey League franchise to Chilliwack, despite media reports to the contrary.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, the city says it has received media inquiries about the management and operation of the Chilliwack Coliseum. As a result of those inquiries, they say they remain committed to bringing WHL hockey to Chilliwack.

Last week, Mayor Popove told 89.5 JR morning host Glen Slingerland that supporters behind the WHL franchise had ghosted the City of Chilliwack concerning a possible WHL franchise in Chilliwack. A spokesperson for a consortium representing an investor group pushed back on that statement by Mayor Popove, saying they were told in February 2026 that council had directed staff to cease negotiations with the MRG Group.

For context, the City of Chilliwack entered into a public-private partnership (P3) agreement in 2002 with the Chiefs Development Group (CDG) for the financing, design, building and operation of what is now known as the Chilliwack Coliseum, formerly known as the Prospera Centre. The agreement allowed the city to give residents a state-of-the-art arena at what it claims was a lower cost.

In line with that agreement, ownership of the Chilliwack Coliseum reverted back to the City of Chilliwack a year ago in May 2025. The municipality subsequently worked with the CDG and tenants on a transition plan for the facility’s management and operation, which the city began managing effective May 1, 2026.

Roughly 14 months ago, the Western Hockey League announced in March 2025 that it had initiated a franchise application process with the City of Chilliwack to begin play in the 2026-27 WHL season. However, that has since been pushed back. It’s still not clear if that will ever come to fruition.

“In 2025, during the WHL announcement, the City of Chilliwack announced it would take ownership and assume management and operation of the Chilliwack Coliseum,” the city clarified. “The terms reached between the WHL and City assumed the City’s ownership, management, and operation of the facility, with a tenancy agreement for a WHL team.

Last year, the MRG Group contacted the City of Chilliwack about managing and operating the Coliseum. Despite extensive negotiations, the two parties were not able to arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement, the city said.

“Although The MRG Group may feel that its vision for the Coliseum was in the best interests of Chilliwack’s residents, Council disagrees,” the city said. “The City has a responsibility to evaluate the proposed operating structure of the Coliseum based on financial stability, minimizing financial impact on taxpayers, operational accountability, governance, community access, and stewardship of taxpayer assets associated with a municipally-owned facility. The City ended negotiations for the management and operation of the Coliseum with The MRG Group in February and informed the WHL of the decision.”

Having said that, the city says it has been up front with Chilliwack residents and the WHL toward its stated desire of retaining oversight of the Coliseum facility.

“The City is focused on ensuring a sustainable, long-term partnership model of team residency aligned with the term sheet previously agreed upon by the WHL and the City and on protecting the interests of the broader community and taxpayers. The City was upfront with residents and the WHL about its desire to manage and operate the Coliseum. That has not changed,” the city said. “In closing, the City remains excited about the future of the Chilliwack Coliseum and is committed to constructive, respectful relationships with the WHL and prospective ownership groups as efforts continue to bring a WHL hockey team to Chilliwack.”

The statement was signed by Mayor Popove and Councillors Chris Kloot, Jason Lum, Bud Mercer, Nicole Read, Jeff Shields, and Harv Westeringh.