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Q&A: Sens’ Jacqueline Belsito and Ted Wagstaff talk Ottawa’s growing sports economy

July 17, 2025

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There are possibly no two people better suited to talk about Ottawa’s sports world than Jacqueline Belsito and Ted Wagstaff. Both Belsito and Wagstaff hold impressive resumés. Belsito is the president of the Senators Community Foundation and Wagstaff is the president of Ottawa-based North45 Advisory Services and is part of the Sens ownership group. Now, they are adding co-chairs of the 2025 Order of Sport gala to their growing lists of accomplishments. Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is inducting five athletes and two “builders” to the Order of Sport, Canada’s highest achievement in sports, at an event at the Canadian Museum of History this October. The athletes include alpine skier Erik Guay, curler Kevin Martin, soccer player Christine Sinclair, para-athlete Michelle Stilwell and softball player Darren Zack. Team builders Martha Billes and Ted Nolan will also be awarded. As Belsito and Wagstaff prepare to elevate this year’s class of sports greats, Ottawa is seeing unprecedented growth in its sports market, with the addition of several teams such as the Ottawa Charge, the Ottawa Rapid FC and the Ottawa Black Bears. The city is also anticipating the impact from the upcoming Lansdowne 2.0 and LeBreton Flats redevelopment projects. OBJ spoke with Belsito and Wagstaff about the impact of this growth on Ottawa. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

OBJ: What does sport mean to you?

TW: I would say the thing that I find remarkable about the power of sport is it teaches us tremendous life skills. You think about the community of a team and how we build lifelong relationships and friendships through sport, as well as how to interact with peers, teammates, opponents and authority figures. Sport can also galvanize a nation. We all stood still at the Four Nations Cup final, and celebrated in a moment where we were questioning, and solidified our sense of patriotism. That’s why I’ve been, for 56 years, an athlete, a fan, a coach, a team manager and, more recently, involved in a minority way in ownership of a professional team. JB: By recognizing the excellence in sport, it inspires future generations. It isn’t just about honouring the achievements of today, but it’s sparking that ambition in tomorrow’s athletes and leaders. It’s regardless of income, geography or background. There’s an equality that sport brings, as well as unity.

OBJ: What do you think sport can do for the growth of a city, like Ottawa?

JB: I would say it’s a pathway to wellbeing. It creates a sense of community and social environments where health is elevated. From an economic point of view, it creates a ton of opportunity for local business. Whether you’re revitalizing or creating a new building, look at that domino effect of the economic growth of a city. It could be as simple as making sure that the City of Ottawa has soccer fields or tennis courts. It doesn’t have to be an organized sport, as much as encouraging the art of play. TD: There’s significant, tangible economic benefits for hotels, restaurants and other related businesses that come with some sort of major sporting event. It can also build community. The perfect example was the Sens Mile and the sense of pride and community it brought. Also, many of the national sports organizations are in Ottawa, so it creates great opportunities there as well. Now we’ve got the Ottawa Rapid FC, the Ottawa 67s, the Blackjacks and the Black Bears. There’s so much for everyone to participate in at all different economic levels, which adds so much vibrancy to our city. Not to mention that we have an NHL team, which puts us on the map as a major city in North America.

OBJ: There is so much activity in Ottawa’s sports ecosystem right now. Do you think it’s sustainable? How can we ensure this momentum continues?

JB: The fans and their interest. They vote by showing up, buying tickets, volunteering or applying for jobs. When you tie it back to the awards that we’re lucky enough to co-chair, these are people’s real-life superheroes. They give others permission to try a sport. TW: One of our friends was remarking on the number of cranes that dot our skyline and the number of new housing units being built. One of the fundamental underpinnings of the answer to its sustainability is that we’re a growing city with a strong technology community and the stability of a lot of people working for the government. In its growth, we’re fueling the appetite for women’s professional soccer and hockey. I think there is almost a pent-up demand for a broader and more diverse sports menu. Some of that sustainability will be found in the fan base of young girls who can see themselves represented in the players of the Rapid and the Charge.

OBJ: How are the corporate and business communities stepping up?

JB: Business and philanthropic people are investing in the value of sport more than ever. They see the value in the vibrancy for a community, a person or a business. TW: In the last 18 months or so, we’ve signed major corporate deals that reinforce that companies are showing up to support sport. With the Senators, we signed major partnerships with CIBC, Kinaxis and Fullscript. These are great examples of big pillars in our community who have shown up and invested significantly with the hockey team and its foundation.

OBJ: What does Ottawa’s healthy sports ecosystem mean for the transformation of Lansdowne and the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats?

JB: I think one of the exciting things about living in Ottawa is that it’s a bit of a magnet for people. There isn’t just one thing evolving in Ottawa. The whole community is interested in how we create and foster local economic drivers. TW: Having an arena as well as a sports and entertainment district that’s in the core of the city and connected to Gatineau will help reshape our city—a G7 capital—to a large degree. We’re excited about the impact that that can have. We’ve announced that 10 acres with the NCC and we’re hopeful that some things will come of that shortly, but I think that it’s an opportunity to help, along with a bunch of other initiatives, in revitalizing and reimagining downtown. We’re excited to play a role in it.

OBJ: People think of Ottawa as a government town. What do you think needs to happen for people to think of Ottawa as a sports town?

JB: We already are a sports town. I’m a football fan, a soccer fan and a hockey fan. We have so many options. TW: I’ve been involved as a fan or otherwise with the Sens for 25 years and I don’t know if I’ve ever felt the energy that I felt during those Toronto Maple Leafs home playoff games. We are a sports town. People that come here and experience that will understand we’re a sports town. I think, in the next decade, as Lansdowne goes through its next phase and LeBreton gets established, we are going to create something that people will want to go to. I think people undersell us already, but I think what you’re going to see with that transformation is going to be world-class and really remarkable.

OBJ: What does it mean to you to be a part of this event and what do you hope people take away from the event?

JB: The value of sport is central to who we are as individuals. It doesn’t matter if it’s on a rink, a field or a court, those lifelong skills that are built through sport are just so essential to the health and wellbeing of communities and families. That is motivating.This is a nationwide celebration recognizing not only athletes, but leaders within sport. We hope that people are reinforced in their belief of the impact of sport. TW: Our role is to help bring more corporate, community and government leaders to this event so they can see the importance of the work that the Hall of Fame is doing. On a personal level, I am halfway through my battle with non-Hodgkin’s double-hit lymphoma, at least the chemo part, and I’ll be finished by the end of September. The Order of Sport awards will likely be around the time I get the results from my scan saying I’m completely clear. The power of sport has given me the mindset that it’s only one step in front of the other. You still have to go train tomorrow even when you’re not feeling great. These have all been great motivators to me. I am grateful for the care at the Ottawa Hospital and the love and support of so many family and friends.