He said the group was doing “due diligence” and he understood that it would share more information soon about a bid that is “grounded in a plan to keep the team here.”
Kahlon, who is a longtime Whitecaps fan and season-ticket holder, said the group had contacted his office but wasn’t seeking any help from the province.
He said the potential bidders “do seem serious.”
A group led by billionaire businessman Grant Gustavson announced last week that it had submitted a bid to Major League Soccer to buy the Whitecaps that would include a privately financed, soccer-specific stadium in Las Vegas.
Gustavson, 30, is the grandson of Public Storage co-founder B. Wayne Hughes and the son of billionaire Tamara Gustavson, one of the company’s largest shareholders.
While Kahlon said he did not have a time frame for the local bidders going public, “I would say sooner would be better, because there’s a lot of anxiety amongst Whitecaps fans that they want to see a local proponent come forward.”
“I can’t speak to the proponents that are bidding for this process other than say that they seem very interested and they understand how important the club is for the province,” he said, adding that if the team left Vancouver he “definitely will not go to Vegas to watch.”
Multiple groups are believed to be exploring relocation options as MLS reviews the Whitecaps’ future.
The club has been up for sale since 2024, with ownership citing ongoing challenges tied to stadium control and revenue at its home stadium, B.C. Place, which is owned and operated by the province.
“Over the past 16 months, we have had serious conversations with more than 100 parties, and to date, no viable offer has emerged that would keep the club here,” the Whitecaps said in a statement last week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2026.
Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press