Economic & Community Impact Study: Cape Breton Eagles and Centre 200

In 2024, the Cape Breton Partnership, alongside the Cape Breton Eagles Hockey Club and Cape Breton Regional Municipality, worked with Turner Drake & Partners to complete two studies, focused on the economic & community impacts of the Cape Breton Eagles and Centre 200, the Island’s premier events venue.

Click here to navigate to the full reports below:

• Economic Impact Report
• Community Impact Report

These studies, linked below, provide a comprehensive analysis of the economic and community impacts of both the hockey club and Centre 200, and how they have been deeply interconnected since the Eagles franchise was relocated to Sydney from Granby, Quebec in 1997.

Economic Impact Study

Key Findings

Total output generated by the Cape Breton Eagles:  

• Nova Scotia: $3.47 million 
• Cape Breton: $3.43 million 
• CBRM: $3.29 million 

Total output generated by Centre 200: 

• Nova Scotia: $4.13 million 
• Cape Breton: $4.07 million 
• CBRM: $3.92 million 

Combined Impact of hockey club & arena on provincial economy: 

• $7.59 million, 67 jobs created, 64 of the jobs created in Cape Breton 

New Spending: 

• $1.35 million in off-Island spending generated between 2021 and 2024, mainly through ticket sales  
  • Team improvement since the COVID-19 pandemic and playoff appearances in 2023 and 2024 have boosted the following of the team and have increased off-Island revenues for the club 

Jobs: 

• 29 jobs created by the Eagles in Cape Breton in 2023 
  • Cannot specify what type of jobs are created, this is a metric of the club’s economic output 
• 35 jobs in Cape Breton are supported by Centre 200 
• 67 jobs created by the club and the arena across Nova Scotia 

Interconnectivity of Centre 200 and the Eagles: 

• If the Eagles were to stop playing home games at Centre 200, the facility’s impact would decline by $2.79 million per year – a 71% reduction from current impact figures 
• This demonstrates the interconnectivity of the hockey club and their home arena – this relationship is critically important to both parties in economic terms, and the future viability of Centre 200 as Cape Breton’s premier sport & entertainment venue is tied directly to the Eagles continuing to play their home games there 

Community Impact Study

Key Findings

Cape Breton Eagles Survey Responses:

• 95.2% of survey respondents expressed pride in the team, and 86.6% are emotionally connected to the Eagles 
• 78.9% of people always attend Eagles games in person at Centre 200, not watching on TV 
• 85.9% agreed that supporting the Eagles is part of the local culture in Cape Breton 
• 37.8% feel the team contributes a great deal to a sense of community 
• 48% feel the team contributes quite a bit to a sense of community 
• 55.5% feel the team has a significant impact on youth hockey on the Island 
• 30% feel the Eagles contribute a great deal to the local economy 
• 50% feel the Eagles contribute substantially to the local economy 

Centre 200 Overall Community Impact Summary: 

• 87% of respondents see Centre 200 as a vital facility to Cape Breton 
• Almost 50% believe that losing Centre 200 would have a negative impact on the region 
• 39.5% feel the arena contributes significantly to the local economy 
• Losing the facility would be devastating to the community, with no other facilities of its scope and scale on the Island to take its place as a major events hub 
• 57% agree that Centre 200 contributes to the cultural  
• 45.8% of respondents frequently attend events at Centre 200, with Eagles games being most popular, followed by concerts and cultural events like Celtic Colours or the Cape Breton Comedy Festival 
• 14.7% of people attend other sporting events at Centre 200 beyond Eagles games 
• 15.9% of respondents were dissatisfied with the facilities at Centre 200 
• 27.4% feel that accessibility at Centre 200 is only fair, with 7.9% rating it poor or very poor (combined) 

Survey Details:

• 49.4% of respondents were Sydney residents, and 41.4% were residents of other CBRM communities. Just under 10% of respondents live elsewhere in Cape Breton 
• 68.2% of respondents were Eagles season ticket holders 

Comments & Testimonials from the Downtown Sydney business community:

• “Having Centre 200 in the community has enabled us to secure and support numerous major sporting events particularly over the years, which would not likely have occurred in Cape Breton if not for Centre 200.” 

• “We hope to see more collaboration between Centre 200 and the local business community in the future. An example would be Centre 200 working with local businesses on how they could support and benefit from large events happening in our community, such as putting on special promos that are event-related and making sure they are properly staffed to handle an influx in customers.” 

• “Centre 200 and the CB Eagles bring economic growth to our community. We benefit from large events happening in the community such as CB Eagles games, conferences, and concerts. When these events occur, it brings our community together and attracts visitors. It also brings more customers to our local businesses including restaurants, retailers, hotels, and transportation companies. Centre 200 and CB Eagles promote our island and contribute to the health of our economy.” 

• “Eagles game nights are some of the most consistently busy nights we have all year. Being right next to Centre 200, we benefit greatly from the influx of Eagles fans that come to our restaurant before and after every game all season long. Each year, we have our annual ‘Celebrity Server’ night where     Eagles players serve customers their food and that always brings in big crowds.” – Boston Pizza Sydney 

• “Cape Breton Eagles have a great community focus, and bring a lot to the area, especially for families” 

• “There is a great sense of community cohesion around the team: for example, the Mi’kmaw jerseys, CBU Night at the Nest, etc.”

• “Other events at Centre 200 are well attended, like the Celtic Colours concerts, and other events such as Ice Cube sell out – though not all events there have great attendance” 

• “The physical design of George Street makes Centre 200 feel much further from Downtown Sydney than it actually is, and it isn’t very inviting”