Oh Canada! Blue Jays and C's ink multi-year deal

(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, BC) - The Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club along with the Toronto Blue Jays and Rogers Communications Inc., have agreed to a multi-year Player Development Contract through the 2014 season.

The new PDC will bring together Canada's only affiliated Minor League Baseball Club with Canada's only Major League Baseball Club effective Friday, September 17th, 2010.

"This is something we are all very proud of," states Canadians owner Jake Kerr who purchased Vancouver's professional baseball franchise back in 2007.

"One of the goals we set out to achieve when we purchased this club was to ensure that baseball fans locally felt like the C's were their team. I think this pairing with the Blue Jays will bring baseball fans closer together from coast-to-coast".

The Canadians will remain in the Northwest League and remain at the same classification of baseball ending an 11-year partnership with the Oakland Athletics.

Representing the Toronto Blue Jays at Friday's announcement were Vice Chairman, Rogers Communications Inc. Phil Lind, President and CEO Paul Beeston, Senior Vice President, Baseball Operations & General Manager Alex Anthopoulos, Assistant General Manager, Player Personnel Tony LaCava, Director, Minor League Operations Charlie Wilson, Minor League Field Coordinator Doug Davis as well as former 1996 Cy Young Award winner Pat Hentgen who now serves the Blue Jays as their Club Ambassador and Special Assistant to the President and CEO.