There has been a lot of talk recently about the impact of changes in Montreal's political scene on Montreal Baseball Project's work to bring Major League Baseball back to Montreal. Not surprisingly, the loss of an ally like Denis Coderre will make some question the feasibility of our goal. For us, however, this change represents one of many moving parts working together that we have to adjust for and that in no way represents a derailment of our ultimate objective.

In five years, we have made Montreal the frontrunner to acquire a Major League Baseball franchise either through relocation or expansion. This accomplishment required a significant amount of hard work behind the scenes, building strong ties with officials at Major League Baseball and putting together a strong group of business leaders and visionaries intent on giving Montreal its rightful place on the big stage. It required reversing the negativity surrounding baseball in Montreal and building a strong passion for the game at the grass roots level that made Montreal the talk of the baseball world every spring, when the Olympic Stadium was filled for two exhibition games.

We have no intention of letting this slip away or not moving forward with it. We look forward to meeting with Mayor Plante when the time comes and working with the new leadership in Montreal to put the city back on the pedestal where it belongs. Whether we are business leaders, city officials, corporations, fans, or the media, we all have a role to play in bringing the Expos back.