From a lumber baron, provincial industrialist and British Columbia philanthropist; to the latest CFL owner of a storied British Columbia franchise.
That's the path that brought Amar Doman to the Surrey practice facility today, a Wednesday morning press conference called to announce the transfer of the franchise to the Doman collection of enterprises from that of the estate of David Braley.
Mr. Braley who passed away in 2020, had long been the financial white knight for the Lions franchise a long time and devoted member of the CFL infrastructure since 1987. Owner of three franchises during his tenure and serving as an interim commissioner at one point, Braley was the glue that kept the league solvent in some of its most dire days.
In the case of the Lions, he took over a team in 1997 that had struggled to find local ownership and was suffering a malaise in the sports market which had embraced soccer's Whitecaps and as always stayed true to the NHL's Canucks.
Still, Braley to his credit never wavered in his commitment to the Lions and the community and that's a debt that was never paid back by the football fans of the province.
With his passing, the search to bring the ownership base back to British Columbia accelerated and today, the new face from the ownership box was introduced.
The day one which was steeped with hopes that with a new generation of British Columbians at the helm, the team will once again become the focus for the province's sports fans that marked much of its time in the provincial spotlight in decades past.
The new owner will get to take in his first home game on Thursday when the Lions welcome the Edmonton Elks, the night at BC Place the first time that a Lions team has played at home in over 650 days, with high anticipation for the first large scale event in the province since COVID arrived and delivered a lost season.
Today Mr. Doman was saying all the right things that a football fan would want to hear, a commitment to an iconic sports team and league, setting a change for the future that brings a sense of optimism through some challenging times.
Commissioner Ambrosie spoke of the uncertainty that not only the Lions but the CFL faced in the last two years, and how today's announcement offers a sense of certainty for the BC franchise and the league, something that will be built on the foundation put in place by the former owner who was in the thoughts of many on the day.
“The support and patience shown by David’s estate, led by Grant, the hard work of Lions’ President Rick LeLacheur and the Lions’ staff, and the dedication of the players, coaches and the entire football operation, especially as we all navigated the challenges presented by the pandemic, are all a testament to David’s legacy and his vision for the future.
Now, the future has arrived in the person of Amar Doman. We look forward to working with him to move this great franchise forward and to help us build the Canadian Football League of the future.”
Still, the new owner will bring a businessman's view of the team's future, taking a blue print from the range of corporate interests that he is involved with and shifting elements towards the football team operations.
In the end however, it is a business decision and part of the deal now is on the fans to return to BC Place Stadium in numbers that make Doman's investment one that brings a return that benefits both him and the fans and a sport that still remains part of the Canadian fabric.
The prospects look good, but as is always the case, time will tell how it all works out.
More on today's announcement is available here.
Some further background on the new Leos owner can be reviewed here.
