Fans of the Vancouver Whitecaps MLS soccer team rally to keep the team in Vancouver, outside the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver on Thursday, April 30, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

By The Canadian Press

May 13, 2026 | 10:42 AM

VANCOUVER — The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade is urging businesses to help keep the Vancouver Whitecaps in the city amid uncertainty surrounding the club’s future.

The organization says hundreds of businesses have signed an open letter supporting efforts to keep the Major League Soccer team in Vancouver by exploring sponsorships, partnerships and ticket programs aimed at addressing the club’s revenue challenges.

The Whitecaps have been up for sale since December 2024, and an investor group recently submitted a bid to MLS seeking to buy the club and move it to Las Vegas.

The club has cited revenue limitations at the provincially owned B.C. Place Stadium as a hurdle in attracting a local buyer.