True North Sports & Entertainment

History

True North Sports and Entertainment was founded in 2001 by Manitoba Moose co-owner Mark Chipman and several local investors. Their aim was to build a new downtown Winnipeg entertainment venue to revive the area and potentially bring an NHL franchise back after the original Jets left for Phoenix in 1996. Ownership of the Moose was transferred to TNSE in 2003. The 15,321-seat MTS Centre (now Canada Life Centre) opened in fall 2004 at a cost of $133.5 million, built on land from Osmington Incorporated, a firm owned by David Thomson, who took a minority share in TNSE.

Chipman and Thomson now hold complete ownership through their holding companies. In summer 2010, TNSE opened the MTS Iceplex, an arena and training complex on Winnipeg's western edge. In May 2011, TNSE purchased the struggling Atlanta Thrashers, relocated the club to Winnipeg, and renamed it the Winnipeg Jets. The Moose moved to St. John's for the 2011–12 season as the St. John's IceCaps, returning to Winnipeg for 2015–16 as the Manitoba Moose, sharing the MTS Centre with the Jets.

In January 2007, Mark Chipman met with NHL executives in New York to present a case for an NHL team in Winnipeg; the NHL also met with groups from Houston, Kansas City, Seattle, and Las Vegas, but was most impressed by Winnipeg's presentation. Las Vegas and Seattle later received expansion teams.

Assets

True North Sports & Entertainment currently owns the Hockey For All Centre (formerly MTS Iceplex), a four-sheet arena and training complex on Winnipeg's western edge used by amateur teams, minor hockey, and recreational leagues, and serving as the practice facility for the Jets and Moose. It also owns the Burton Cummings Theatre, a 1,581-seat music venue in Winnipeg's Exchange District; Canada Life Centre, a downtown multi-purpose arena; Fannex, an in-game mobile entertainment system jointly invested with IC Group LP; the Manitoba Moose AHL franchise; TN Touring, a touring entertainment producer established in 2017; True North Real Estate Development, a subsidiary operating True North Square in a joint venture with James Richardson & Sons; the Winnipeg Jets NHL franchise; and Jets Gear (and truenorthshop.com), the official team store.

TNRED, the real estate division, finalized the acquisition of the Portage Place mall, land, and assets on November 29, 2024, and is pursuing a multi-use redevelopment including a partnership with the Southern Chiefs' Organization for a health-care centre and affordable housing tower. Former assets include the MTS Centre Exhibition Hall (2010–2011), the St. John's IceCaps AHL team (2011–2015, a joint venture with St. John's Sports and Entertainment), and True North Square, a downtown plaza under construction at the site of the former Carlton Inn hotel, purchased in June 2015.

True North Youth Foundation

The True North Youth Foundation, originally the Manitoba Moose Yearling Foundation, is a non-profit created by TNSE in 1996. It raises funds for charitable causes and runs Camp Manitou, a children's summer camp; the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy, a youth hockey school; and Project 11, a mental wellness program for schools and youth groups. Project 11 was created in response to the death of former Manitoba Moose player Rick Rypien, who suffered from severe depression. In 2018, Charity Intelligence Canada alleged that TNYF kept donation money in reserves and funnelled funds to other charities rather than operating its own programs; in May 2019, the charity's managing director Kate Bahen issued a formal apology, acknowledging that TNYF does operate its own programs helping Manitoba youth.