BC Place: Stadium Refurbishment | Completed

[CPE]

Does anyone know approximately how many seats there are in the lower bowl?

[jlousa]

I'd say close to 30K if you include the 300 level seating and if the full lower bowl is extended, but I'm sure someone can find an exact number.

[TMW]

Went to my 4th whitecaps game at BC Place and I have to admit that each time the curtains have looked less terrible. I still don't like them but they are tolerable now. It was cold at the game tonight, quite a few people left even though we were only up 2-1. It's assuming to hear fans state the the novelty of the roof has already worn off and to close the roof. Attendance was quite low, not sure what the tickets sold would be, but there was probably only 18K tops inside.
Good to see the Caps now a game over 500 at home. Next year we work on a road victory. :tup:

Reading your post made me cringe and realize what a terrible sports city this is.

Having the roof open for sports is just so great, even in the cold. Wear a freaking jacket for crying out loud! Wish the Whitecaps could draw more fans to games, maybe if they play better people will turn out.

But Seattle fans are sure outdoing us when it comes to MLS support though (I realize they've had more to cheer about).

But no excuse when it comes to the BC Lions. They are arguably the best team in the CFL, and can barely muster of 30,000. In a state of the art stadium no less.

[WarrenC12]

Terrible sports city? Over-exaggerate much? It's a hockey town, like most of Canada.

Take a look at CFL attendance and you'll see Vancouver does very well.

I did not believe most of the hype around MLS Soccer here, but I think the Whitecaps are doing ok considering their on-field performance and young team so far.

[djmk]

But Seattle fans are sure outdoing us when it comes to MLS support though (I realize they've had more to cheer about).


Seattle got 64,100 people come out last weekend!! wow!

[Canadian Skin]

Seattle got 64,100 people come out last weekend!! wow!

And here's what that looks like:

http://www.soundersfc.com/media-library/Images/Events/2011/10-October/111015-vs-Earthquakes/20111015-SOUNDERSFC-SJC-0566.aspx

[crazyjoeda]

The Whitecaps actually have the third highest attendance in MLS. That's very good considering they have the leagues worst record. I think sports in Vancouver are in good shape.

[Vancity]

And here's what that looks like:

http://www.soundersfc.com/media-library/Images/Events/2011/10-October/111015-vs-Earthquakes/20111015-SOUNDERSFC-SJC-0566.aspx

That is pretty crazy. I hope that Vancouver's team improves over the next few years, where we can have attendance like that. That would be absolutely a ROCKING stadium with BC Place (or whatever the stadium's going to be called). By the way - whatever happened to those naming rights for the stadium? I'm curious why it's taken so long to get a deal done.

It's true, though, that this city is first and foremost a hockey town. But that doesn't mean that there isn't enough people out in the city who have other interests in sports as well. Hockey will always be king, but soccer and CFL football have a place in the heart of the city too and perhaps even pro basketball one day again (NBA).

I'm hoping, however, that the 'Caps stadium plans aren't officially dead, but hopefully they are working out a deal behind closed doors about opening their own stadium here in the city, within the next 5-7 years. BC Place's novelty at that time, may begin to wear off, and if the team is STILL doing poorly at that time, fanbase is going to wear thin.

[djmk]

That's very good considering they have the leagues worst record.

correction: 2nd worst. New England is the worst.

[CPE]

By the way - whatever happened to those naming rights for the stadium? I'm curious why it's taken so long to get a deal done.


Maybe they are waiting for after the Whitecaps last match which is this Saturday.

[cc85]

Maybe they are waiting for after the Whitecaps last match which is this Saturday.

Yes, makes a lot of since. Avoid the confusion with Bell Pitch Downtown

[agrant]

Seattle got 64,100 people come out last weekend!! wow!Lots of free tickets apparently.

[Steveston]

And here's what that looks like:

http://www.soundersfc.com/media-library/Images/Events/2011/10-October/111015-vs-Earthquakes/20111015-SOUNDERSFC-SJC-0566.aspx


Special occasion (Kasey Keller's final game) generates a special crowd. Vancouver is ahead of NY Red Bull (you'd think they'd be able to fill a 25,000 seat stadium in a place with that much population), and Sporting KC (which also have a new stadium). I have no doubts that the Whitecaps support will increase as they give the fans more to cheer about (hopefully next year).

I was quite disappointed at the 20,000 drop off at the Lions-Calgary game. Hopefully they'll win on the road next week in Hamilton, and the crowd for the final two home games will be up in the 40,000 - 45,000 range.

[vanlaw]

I was quite disappointed at the 20,000 drop off at the Lions-Calgary game. Hopefully they'll win on the road next week in Hamilton, and the crowd for the final two home games will be up in the 40,000 - 45,000 range.

Lions shold drop some of their ticket brackets $10. Won't happen, but would be more reasonable. Or at least drop prices in the upper tier. It just doesnt make sense to pay same price for a seat 6 rows from the field, or three rows from the top of the stadium in the same area.

[Prometheus]

Not exactly current anymore, but it gives a good perspective of the new stadium when it is largely full of spectators:

tIQy_5EWWBM

[vanman]

Some recent pics of the new BC Place:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6173/6256708153_60f9b7cd7f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonpier/6256708153/)
BC Place and Rogers Arena in Vancouver (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonpier/6256708153/) by Jason Pier in DC (http://www.flickr.com/people/jasonpier/), on Flickr

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6058/6220260222_af4c0fa172_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericflexyourhead/6220260222/)
On the plaza at BC Place (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericflexyourhead/6220260222/) by Eric Flexyourhead (http://www.flickr.com/people/ericflexyourhead/), on Flickr

The new Terry Fox memorial at the foot of Robson:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6106/6234536229_e11827698b_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rishadd/6234536229/)
Terry Fox Memorial (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rishadd/6234536229/) by FreeRishad (http://www.flickr.com/people/rishadd/), on Flickr

[Vancity]

^those are some pretty sweet pics of bc place!

thanks for sharing them!

[officedweller]

That first one is awesone - you never see that because Georgia is one way the other direction.

[Innersoul1]

Free tickets or not, you still need people to show up and claim those free tickets.

Just wondering why they don't brush the field at BC place for soccer or football to give the appearence of mowing lines like they do elsewhere. This is one of the fantastic features of this new artifical turf that hasn't been used.

[vanman]

That first one is awesone - you never see that because Georgia is one way the other direction.

I guess the only somewhat similar view you'd get would be driving north over the Cambie bridge.

[hollywoodnorth]

2nd BC Place video screen draws new complaints

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/10/19/bc-place-video-screen.html


whats funny about this story is there was a similarly bright screen there BEFORE! before Spectrum was built and before that NIMBY moved into the area. OBVIOUSLY downtown living is not suitable to Mr Hayley Stewner. pack it up and move to Chilliwack there bro.

[Yume-sama]

But, why would any reasonable person expect there to be some noise / lights / disruption in the vicinity of two stadiums that at full capacity could hold nearly 85,000 people?

Clearly there should have been some warning! :P

[EdinVan]

"We're actually choosing not to buy in the building because of it."

That poor woman and the stress she's been under. How has she gone on this far? How, I ask, how?

[WarrenC12]

I see a third one is up on the southeast side (facing Cambie bridge). There was an older smaller one there before, which I noticed from my apartment. This one will be a lot brighter I'm sure, with LED lights and all. This will shine into hundreds if not thousands of windows. My prediction is further outrage... it will annoy me personally, much like the rest of the BC Place lighting. Which is to say light is fine, but constantly changing and flashing pictures are another thing entirely (and far more annoying). This only happened during testing, it's great now. Advertising boards will constantly flash though.

Time will tell... I'm waiting for one of the mayoral candidates to make a promise on this. :notacrook:

[hollywoodnorth]

"We're actually choosing not to buy in the building because of it."

That poor woman and the stress she's been under. How has she gone on this far? How, I ask, how?

we should set up a online donation campaign to pay off her mortgage and also buy her a place in the Dominican .... you know to make up for all the evil that has been wrought upon this poor hapless wonderful amazing unfortunate person. 3 cheers for NIMBYism! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

lets all band together to set up the NAF = Nimby Assistance Fund ... a nonprofit organization to help people like her?

[Metro-One]

Sigh....... This city really is a joke sometimes.

Sorry folks, you live downtown, LED billboards, lights and noise are just part of downtown living.

Now, if these boards were put up right in the middle of a west end neighborhood (which is purely residential) then yes, I would agree that is poor planning.

BUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTT.......

These people are living beside the provinces 2 largest stadiums and a designated entertainment district! Surprise surprise! I wish my life was so good that this was my largest complaint!

The funniest aspect is that there were electronic billboards there before!

this really is the ugly side of downtown living in North America (especially when mix use is residential and entertainment).

They need to face reality, look at any city in Japan downtown, or China, or Taiwan, or Toronto, or Europe, etc!

If you don't like such aspects then don't move next to Vancouver's primary entertainment / commercial districts / streets.

Arghhhhh!

[djmk]

Now, if these boards were put up right in the middle of a west end neighborhood (which is purely residential) then yes, I would agree that is poor planning.



that is the point. here, there was no planning. The city did not approve these screens going up.

although i think these screens are cool, I have total sympathy for those residents (some of them living blocks away) that have to live with this. I would hate to be inundated with non stop telus and bud commercials 24/7 streaming through my closed blinds. the screen is too massive to miss.

if I was an affected homeowner, i would consider legal action against pavco and the city. And I'm sure

[Metro-One]

:previous:Yes, there was planning, the area these screens are going up in is a designated entertainment zone. Only a complete idiot would not expect such features outside of a stadium. The funniest thing is 2 of these billboards already existed before the new roof was built, so you can not get much more of a precedent than that!

Bottom line = Buyer Beware!

If you don't like the possibility of new lighting features, bars, clubs, casinos, etc... being built near where you live than don't buy a house / condo on or next to an entertainment zone or major commercial street (example Granville, Robson, Georgia, etc...)

The same way if you buy next to an industrial area do not be surprised if a new factory opens that may be louder / brighter than what already exists!

[Canadian Skin]

we should set up a online donation campaign to pay off her mortgage and also buy her a place in the Dominican .... you know to make up for all the evil that has been wrought upon this poor hapless wonderful amazing unfortunate person. 3 cheers for NIMBYism! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

lets all band together to set up the NAF = Nimby Assistance Fund ... a nonprofit organization to help people like her?

We don't have to send her that far. Perhaps someplace like Vegas, where such things are unheard of.

[whatnext]

I see a third one is up on the southeast side (facing Cambie bridge). There was an older smaller one there before, which I noticed from my apartment. This one will be a lot brighter I'm sure, with LED lights and all. This will shine into hundreds if not thousands of windows. My prediction is further outrage... it will annoy me personally, much like the rest of the BC Place lighting. Which is to say light is fine, but constantly changing and flashing pictures are another thing entirely (and far more annoying). This only happened during testing, it's great now. Advertising boards will constantly flash though.

Time will tell... I'm waiting for one of the mayoral candidates to make a promise on this. :notacrook:

There's not much the city can do. Property held by a senior level of government trumps municipal jurisdiction.

I can see both sides. On one hand their was an existing stadium, so it should be caveat emptor. On the other, there is far more light pollution from the renovated stadium than the old one.

One thing I've commented on before: you cannot equate highrise living with a desire to be subjected to constant noise etc. If you do, you guarantee that it will remain largely a preserve of single people and not a balanced neighbourhood that includes families in the mix. The term "downtown peninsula" is somewhat of a misnomer. All of the area from Abbott Street west to Stanley Park is not a true "downtown". Parts of it are, and other large parts are a high density residential neighbourhood, don't confuse the two.

[TwoFace]

I agree with the complainers, a MEGA screen blasting light with the intensity of a Bat-signal at 5am is BS.
Obviously it was an error by the programmer and as stated by PAVCO will be re-programed to run with the other screens.

"PavCo, the company that operates BC Place, said the Robson Street screen would operate from to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and it will look into why the Georgia Street screen was on so early Wednesday morning".

[djh]

If you live in a downtown condo, and your next-door neighbour bangs on your front door wall half the night with a hammer...do you say "Oh, I live downtown, I have to accept this?"
- Now what if he bangs on your bedroom wall...do you accept it?
- Now what if he honks his car horn half the night outside your 2nd floor window...do you accept it?
- Now what if his car alarm goes off half the night outside your window...do you accept it?

It seems as if some people here think that it's an "all or nothing" approach to downtown disturbance. "You accept disturbance OR you move to suburbia".

I think in reality it's much more of a grey area. Some disturbances are more "acceptable" - or at least, you can empathize with the person creating it - than others.

Consequently, I don't think it's fair to tell everybody who is living downtown and dealing with a disturbance to their life that it's necessarily their own stupidity, ignorance or fault. Some things, yes, they should tolerate (and probably do tolerate, without us even being aware of what they have to deal with). Other things, no, they should not have to tolerate "just because" they are living downtown.

For me personally, if I lived near a building (e.g., BC Place) that had light shining through my window at night, I'd find it annoying, but I'd accept that it was there before me so I should have expected that. If then one day they decided to install NEW FLASHING LIGHTING THAT IS MEANT TO GET YOUR ***ATTENTION*** ALL NIGHT...well, that might not be so acceptable and I would look for some sort of solution. But if that was what was there before I moved in, I'd have to accept it as part of the joy of living in the building and install black-out blinds, or surrender and move out. Not so easy if you're an owner and may have to sell at a loss in your property value, but for renters it's an easier option.

[WarrenC12]

It seems as if some people here think that it's an "all or nothing" approach to downtown disturbance. "You accept disturbance OR you move to suburbia".

I think in reality it's much more of a grey area. Some disturbances are more "acceptable" - or at least, you can empathize with the person creating it - than others.

Good post, all very true.

The city has been approving and encouraging more and more residential development in the downtown peninsula, so of course you are going to get these kinds of conflicts coming up. The city's silence on this is a little annoying.

Were these big panels in the original plans? Did this even require city approval or was it just pushed through by the province?

[wrenegade]

Did this even require city approval or was it just pushed through by the province?

The Province essentially had carte blanche.

[Metro-One]

Again I feel people are missing the issue.

I will say that yes, I agree that there are grey areas, for example the big new LED walls at 104 West Pender Place. At that location I feel the residence do have a true complaint. For this lighting feature is gigantic, but most importantly it has been built in a purely residential area, no where near a major commercial or entertainment zone / street. So in this case a compromise (such as only having it on weekend evenings) would be ideal.

But, for those around the Stadium or near Granville or along Georgia, I am sorry. yes, there can still be some room for compromise (such as maybe only playing the signs from 7 to 7 and game nights).

What people are forgetting here is that things are not static. Just because when you move into a tower beside a zoned entertainment district that it will stay the same forever. just like residential areas, commercial / entertainment areas also grow and become more intense as the population of their metro grows (and especially the transit feeding into that area)

So moving next to the stadiums (zoned as a entertainment zone) do not be surprised if new lighting features and screens are installed, seeing how they exist on nearly every stadium in the world!

The same for condo owners on Robson, do not be surprised if new bars open up along that street, because that is one of our primary commercial / entertainment streets!

Same goes for Granville regarding new screens, clubs, bars, lights, etc... And georgia too.

If you want to live downtown but also want a near zero chance of such features being built near you than live then buy a condo on Drake street or Helmcklen or anywhere in the west end.

If you want to buy a place right in the middle of the action, then be fully prepared for that action to become more intense as the city grows.

And this attitude is not just regarding lights.

I remeber a few years ago there were home owners in Coquitlam who had bought houses bordering an industrial zoned area, who were then up in arms when a new gravel pit opened on the industrial land! Well surprise surprise! Buyer beware!

Things change! The funny thing is many of the people on here who are against these screens / lights are likely the first to support the urbanization of the Cambie Corridor.

Well how is that any different?? What about those home owner's feelings who live along Cambie because they like being close to the city but don't like dense urban towers! Now they have towers being built right next to their detached suburban style houses. Tough for them right? if people along Cambie living in or beside areas that are now zoned for major changes can't have their cake and eat it too, then why can people in condo towers downtown living in or next to entertainment zones?

Even for my family. We use to live in a hobby farm area of maple Ridge. We loved the farm style living, but we knew that our property and surrounding property was zoned for urban expansion, and guess what happened, our neighbours sold and subdivisions were built next to us, completely destroying the "farm" living my parents loved! But instead of getting all angry at the city my parents understood the zoning of where we lived and that things change as communities grow. So what they eventually did was they sold and now have property near 100 mile house, where they are now safe from what they do not like! (PS, always be sure to buy the mineral rights to your property as well, hehe)

OK, that is enough from me right now, just my point is that cities are dynamic, and the fact that an area has historically been and entertainment area or is zoned to be one is precedent enough for such new features being built.

[Prometheus]

This really is an issue of common law. Either the disturbance rises to the legal standard of nuisance under the common law (which considers a number of contextual factors) or it does not. If it does, the residents could seek a remedy (such as an injunction) from a court. But it might not because what constitutes a nuisance in one kind of neighbourhood does not necessarily constitute a nuisance in another kind.

[jsbertram]

we should set up a online donation campaign to pay off her mortgage and also buy her a place in the Dominican .... you know to make up for all the evil that has been wrought upon this poor hapless wonderful amazing unfortunate person. 3 cheers for NIMBYism! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

lets all band together to set up the NAF = Nimby Assistance Fund ... a nonprofit organization to help people like her?

I thought of using the name to "NAF-OFF", but I can't think of an acronym for O.F.F. other than "Old Farts Forever"

[Denscity]

To all that complain about huge bright outdoor screens should move into an eastern facing basement suite in Aldergrove. The junction of a major thoroughfare and a huge stadium in a big city is exactly where these screens belong. :tup:

[Metro-One]

:previous:Exactly, there are areas such features belong, and areas they don't.

Around the stadiums = belong. Granville street = belong. The heart of Robson street = Belong (though only in select areas on Robson). Along Georgia street = belong.

Now, down in the west end = doesn't belong. The western end of Coal Harbour = doesn't belong (hence why I feel that the 104 West Pender lighting feature was going to be trouble from the start, and I do somewhat agree with those complaints)

[Denscity]

yeah too bad they cant transfer the led lights from the pender tower to georgia and burrard or something.

[Pinion]

My wife's friend posted this today:

http://i.imgur.com/f5A22.jpg

Seems like they've figured out how to make the spaces even/symmetrical and that helps a lot aesthetically.

[MJDDawg]

Those drapes have grown on me, but from an aesthetic standpoint I don't like the fact that those end-zone sections don't line up with the sideline sections. And for the love of God, I hope they can figure out how to eliminate the shadows.

[Alex Mackinnon]

:previous:Exactly, there are areas such features belong, and areas they don't.

Around the stadiums = belong. Granville street = belong. The heart of Robson street = Belong (though only in select areas on Robson). Along Georgia street = belong.

Now, down in the west end = doesn't belong. The western end of Coal Harbour = doesn't belong (hence why I feel that the 104 West Pender lighting feature was going to be trouble from the start, and I do somewhat agree with those complaints)

I don't see why simply dimming the lights as a function of time of day should be an issue with any of this though. LED lights are always inherently dimable. All you need to do is pulse the lights on and off rapidly and they're effectively dimmed. It's the same way multicolour LEDs work.

Just program into the microcontroller either a set schedule of dimming the lights by time or add in a sensor to detect how bright it is outside and dim the lights accordingly. Either of these should solve the light pollution problem, while keeping the light art visible.

[Nites]

Is the jumbotron fully completed yet? Just wondering because there is a huge blank spot on both sides of the tron underneath the the smaller screens.

[jsbertram]

Is the jumbotron fully completed yet? Just wondering because there is a huge blank spot on both sides of the tron underneath the the smaller screens.

Perhaps that space is waiting to be used by whoever gets the naming rights?

[S.W.M.Design]

Perhaps that space is waiting to be used by whoever gets the naming rights?

Yeah, On the renders they have signage there... I really think it would have been smarter to put the smaller screens on the bottom of the structure and have the blank space above it because then people on the end-zone seats wouldn't have to raise their heads up as much to look at the screen.

[whatnext]

As a slightly off-topic aside, its worth catching the current Neon Vancouver, Ugly Vancouver exihibit at the MOV, to see how these types of issues keep coming up in the city.

[CPE]

Did the workers at BC Place go on strike?

[Canadian Skin]

Did the workers at BC Place go on strike?

The BC Lions just released a statement that they believe the game will go ahead on Saturday. No guarantees, as there has been neither a resolution nor strike notice given by the union.

Basically the Lions are crossing their fingers. Hope they haven't taken down Empire Field yet lol.

[officedweller]

Apparently Empire Field is staying up until after the Grey Cup.

[go_leafs_go02]

Chance they could play the game in Edmonton from what I've heard if BC place strikes.

Empire Field would be awesome if you ask me....

[Smooth]

Apparently Empire Field is staying up until after the Grey Cup.

I drove by Empire on the weekend and it looked like they were dismantling it.

[Steveston]

From cbc.ca today:


BC Place workers strike tentative deal
CBC News
Posted: Oct 25, 2011 11:29 AM PT
Last Updated: Oct 25, 2011 11:23 AM PT


A tentative deal has been reached between BC Place and the B.C. Government and Service Employees Union, averting the chance of strike during the upcoming Grey Cup match.

The BCGEU says the deal was reached late Monday night after both sides resumed collective bargaining.

The union is recommending its members accept the deal, which means there would be no labour disruption during the upcoming B.C. Lions game on Saturday night and the Grey Cup Championship on Nov. 27.

"We’re glad this tentative agreement could be reached without any disruption to operations at BC Place," said BCGEU president Darryl Walker. "Our members were seeking a fair collective agreement and they got it."

Howard Crosley, the manager of BC Place, said it's a relief a deal the two sides have reached an agreement.

"With this tentative agreement, we’re now able to proceed with our plans to host the BC Lions game this weekend," he said.

"We are pleased that we have reached a tentative collective agreement satisfactory to both parties, and we look forward to moving ahead together with all of the events planned for BC Place in the future."

A ratification vote is scheduled to take over the weekend.

The news comes after BC Place workers issued 72-hour strike notice last week, saying ongoing contract negotiations were going nowhere.

The stadium reopened following a $563-million renovation that included the installation of a new retractable roof and a scoreboard with massive video screens.

[Canadian Skin]

Heard Wally Buono on the radio the other day basically saying he would like to see the roof closed for all games unless it is warm and sunny.

His view seemed to be that it is a domed stadium that can be opened, rather than an open stadium that can be closed.

[WarrenC12]

The Lions prefer the louder noise in a closed stadium as well.

The big screen on the Cambie bridge is on now. It was showing ads this morning (changing like the billboard on the Burrard St. bridge). Not too bright, but we'll have to see what it looks like at night.

The board went to seizure mode earlier today so there are crews fixing it up now.

[cc85]

I hope we get to hear of the new stadium name before the Grey Cup comes to town.

[Spoolmak]

^^ Thats a good point...You'd think they would officially name the stadium right before the Grey Cup...It's all about advertising

[Smooth]

Saw the new billboard that faces the Cambie St. bridge in operation this evening. There sure were a lot of Telus ads on it.

[Chadillaccc]

BC Place at Telus Place of Sports?

[Canadian Skin]

Interesting view of Science World last night (Halloween) on the Exterior Cam, particularly at 8:30 pm.

:cool:

[hollywoodnorth]

Roger Waters' technological tour de force comes to B.C. Place


By Stuart Derdeyn, The Province November 1, 2011

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/entertainment/Roger+Waters+technological+tour+force+comes+Place/5640119/story.html#ixzz1cVY8qOWS

[Prometheus]

A nice little timelapse film of opening night:

B0ESFB9Aw0c

[SFUVancouver]

^ Thanks for posting that.

At 1:10 the roof is retracted. Pretty cool to see.

[Zassk]

I wonder why they have not raised the round cover to hide the retracted roof yet.

[officedweller]

From the Courier - escalation of the dispute that occurred earlier in the year:

http://www.vancourier.com/Place+roof+tiff+leads+lawsuit/5676087/story.html


B.C. Place roof tiff leads to lawsuit
Canam blamed Freyssinet for a $25 million cost overrun

By Bob Mackin, Contributing writer
November 8, 2011 11:34 AM

Freyssinet filed a lawsuit in British Columbia Supreme Court Oct. 31, charging Canam Group with breach of contract, breach of statutory trust and equitable fraud.

Crown-owned B.C. Pavilion Corporation and prime contractor PCL Constructors Westcoast were also named as defendants.

Freyssinet had a $30,124,377 subcontract from Canam's Structal Heavy Steel division and claims it continued working on the project despite Canam stopping payment.

Canam blamed Freyssinet for a $25 million cost overrun reported last April to Canam shareholders, but the Freyssinet claim said "Canam intentionally and wrongfully made the demand to recover alleged damages for financial losses arising from the completed work. This was a wrongful, tortious act constituting equitable fraud."

PavCo awarded PCL and Canam a $122,864,581 contract Nov. 18, 2009, according to the claim. Canam then hired Freyssinet but they were unable to agree on all terms. Freyssinet commenced work in July 2010 and on Aug. 23, 2010, Canam and Freyssinet signed a subcontract, backdated to Nov. 20, 2009. Despite the subcontract, the two companies did not agree on the erection work budget, according to the Freyssinet claim.

The statement of claim said Canam announced in November 2010 that it would "follow an alternate method of erection of the cable," without consulting Freyssinet.

Freyssinet claims Canam failed to keep work on schedule, directed labour and equipment without Freyssinet's knowledge or consent, interfered with Freyssinet supervisors and "permitted rates from Montacier International, a company related to Canam, for labour for erection of the cable which were higher than agreed upon."

The claim said that as of Oct. 19, certificates of completion had not been issued for the head contract at B.C. Place, despite the stadium's Sept. 30 reopening.

Freyssinet filed a lien with the Land Titles Office on Oct. 19. Canam told court on Oct. 31 that it had deposited a $6,466,892 bond with the registrar.

Cable installation delays postponed the application of the new fabric roof from February to June. Crews battled the weather in late September and October to apply seals to stop roof leaks.

Problems were apparent last fall during two incidents. A crane's pendant bar got hung up on a temporary support cable between one of the 130 ton roof support masts and the centre node on Sept. 27, 2010. One of the massive cable nets crashed to the ground during installation on Dec. 3, 2010, briefly halting work.

B.C. Place is the only stadium in the world where an air-supported roof has been replaced with a retractable roof supported by a network of cables and steel masts erected to buttress the structure. The taxpayer-funded project was budgeted at $563 million.

Canam spokesman Francois Begin and PavCo spokesman Trevor Pancoust both declined to comment on Freyssinet's untested claims.

"Was there something done, direction given from the provincial level, whether it's the minister of PavCo, which may have led to this result?" said NDP critic and Vancouver-West End MLA Spencer Chandra-Herbert. "Are taxpayers going to be on the hook for any of this, or is this just an internal dispute?"

2010goldrush@gmail.com

© Copyright (c) Vancouver Courier

[Sprawl]

I'll just leave this here...

32382463

[Locked In]

^Wow, that's unreal! Thanks for posting!

[djh]

I'll just leave this here...

32382463

Looks like you need a password now.
What was it about?

[Sprawl]

Looks like you need a password now.
What was it about?

How strange...

Luckily, the password was the title of the video: "lumenpulse"

[hollywoodnorth]

very cool thanks!

[jlousa]

Forgot to mention this but as the Western Finals I noticed that Telus had free wifi everywhere inside the stadium. Don't know if this has been the case since re-opening or a new development. Still it was nice to be able to stream the game on tsn while there in order to watch different replays.

[Zassk]

Forgot to mention this but as the Western Finals I noticed that Telus had free wifi everywhere inside the stadium. Don't know if this has been the case since re-opening or a new development. Still it was nice to be able to stream the game on tsn while there in order to watch different replays.

I noticed that too. It was a very strong signal on the upper deck.

As one of the many people who took in the "double-header" of games on Sunday, I really enjoyed my first visit to the rebuilt BC Place. About the only issue I could find was that the upper concourse washrooms are too small, but surely this was an existing problem that could not be easily mitigated. On the other hand, the sheer amount of glass and solar light is breathtaking, and the decor feels professional and sophisticated. It no longer feels like a concrete bunker. And the field looks absolutely stunning in the daylight.

I also appreciated the wider seats. You can really tell the difference when you go straight from BC Place to Rogers Arena. The seats are cramped at Rogers by comparison, and the cushions vs. plastic don't affect comfort much. I think the new seats at BC Place must also be shaped a little differently, because it seems much easier to step past seated people than it used to be. Finally, as trivial as it may seem, I immediately missed the cup holders upon arriving at Rogers Arena.

[WarrenC12]

Forgot to mention this but as the Western Finals I noticed that Telus had free wifi everywhere inside the stadium. Don't know if this has been the case since re-opening or a new development. Still it was nice to be able to stream the game on tsn while there in order to watch different replays.

I saw the signs for this in the stadium but had no signal from my Row G lower bowl seats... :(

Cell coverage has been weak in there as well, mostly due to the # of people I'm sure.

[Calgarian]

Another gem in Vancouver's crown! great job on the reno.

[Cypherus]

For the last two BC Lions games I attended, the colorful roof lighting as displayed in the above video was not used. It would have been most opportune to display the wonderful lighting effects when 35-40 thousand people are in the stadium watching the game.

[jlousa]

They turned on the lightning mid way thru the 4th quarter, it wasn't on earlier as it was still day out. Even by the end of the game it was too bright out and barely visible.

[Spikester]

They turned on the lightning

Were the bolts directed toward the opposing team's bench? Talk about a home-field advantage! :haha:

[WarrenC12]

Were the bolts directed toward the opposing team's bench? Talk about a home-field advantage! :haha:

You laugh, but, check this video at about 1 min in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEm_9IIRitc

[bceci]

Hi all,

As per the video above - BC Place Illuminated. It's a promotional video I created for "Lumenpulse" for their lighting fixtures company. Pretty amazing what that display is capable of. Expect to see lots of it during the Grey Cup this weekend.

http://vimeo.com/32382463

[peterprinciple]

Hi all,

As per the video above - BC Place Illuminated. It's a promotional video I created for "Lumenpulse" for their lighting fixtures company. Pretty amazing what that display is capable of. Expect to see lots of it during the Grey Cup this weekend.

http://vimeo.com/32382463

I love this video. A big fan of your work. Keep them coming please.

Cheers,
Peterprinciple.

[bceci]

Thank you so much Peter! Lots coming soon... Heading to southern sudan next week for one!

[Prometheus]

Some photos from the West Division final:

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4613/31476726.jpg

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2820/53651740.jpg

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/6336/66435791.jpg
Photos by Woody on Lionbackers.com: http://lionbackers.com/bc_lions/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20130

[Pinion]

*insert tight end joke*

[mezzanine]

Pix FTW! Best seats in the house!

[officedweller]

Pic from coworker taken last night:

http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/1115/vancouver2011112300002.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/828/vancouver2011112300002.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

[Jebby]

Thank you so much Peter! Lots coming soon... Heading to southern sudan next week for one!



Dear God why? I've been to Sudan and its a complete sh*thole, can't imagine south Sudan being any better...

[Hed Kandi]

Some photos from the West Division final:

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4613/31476726.jpg



:coolugh:

[vanman]

Hi all,

As per the video above - BC Place Illuminated. It's a promotional video I created for "Lumenpulse" for their lighting fixtures company. Pretty amazing what that display is capable of. Expect to see lots of it during the Grey Cup this weekend.

http://vimeo.com/32382463

Thanks. Your work looks very professional. Although you captured BC Place from many good angles, my only suggestion would be filming from the Georgia viaduct from the same vantage seen here:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6173/6256708153_60f9b7cd7f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonpier/6256708153/)
BC Place and Rogers Arena in Vancouver (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonpier/6256708153/) by Jason Pier in DC (http://www.flickr.com/people/jasonpier/), on Flickr

[djmk]

Two stadiums, similar sagas
B.C., Winnipeg get new football digs, but about that rapid transit -- don't ask

By: Bartley Kives

VANCOUVER -- As long-suffering Winnipeg football fans obsess about what will happen on the turf at BC Place this Sunday, it's worth a nanosecond to take a step back and think about the venue itself.

The battle between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the B.C. Lions for the 99th Grey Cup will take place inside a 28-year-old stadium that just underwent a three-year renovation at a cost of $563 million, all of it underwritten by the taxpayers of British Columbia.
BC Place

Back in 2003, after Vancouver and Whistler landed the 2010 Olympics, there were calls to demolish BC Place, which some residents considered an eyesore on the False Creek waterfront. They argued it was time to build a new stadium somewhere else.

Bolstering the pro-demolition side, developers claimed the stadium site could fetch more than $1 billion on the open market, given the scarcity of commercial real estate in Vancouver.

On the anti-demolition side was a projected price tag of more than $1 billion to build a new covered multi-use facility, when the cost of acquiring land in the very same hot real estate market was taken into account.

Demolition also would have come with environmental costs, as the prospect of tossing a stadium-sized pile of concrete into West Coast landfills was not exactly popular in sustainability-minded British Columbia.

In a debate that will seem awfully familiar to Winnipeggers, who only recently emerged from an insufferable stadium saga of their own, Vancouver took the better part of six years to figure out what to do with BC Place.

As the 2010 winter games drew near, BC Place's owner, the provincial Crown corporation Pavco, decided to go with an ambitious renovation and refurbishment project.

"At the end of the day, we needed the facility for the Olympics and needed upgrades anyway," said Howard Crosley, BC Place's general manager.

"The unfortunate part of it was, the decision didn't come soon enough for the actual Olympics."

Looking at BC Place right now, there's not much that seems unfortunate about the decision to hold on to a structure originally built to serve Expo '86.

The two-stage renovation of the venue started before the Olympics with almost $50 million worth of improvements to ramps, washrooms, concessions and other facilities.

Then came the truly expensive task of ending BC Place's status as the largest air-supported structure on the planet.

The most visible aspect of the renovation was the replacement of the venue's inflatable dome, which ripped open during a gust of wind in January 2007. The stadium now has a retractable roof that can open or close in 20 minutes.

No more dome also meant no more need for the ugly airlocks at entrances that now have more spacious doors.

The renovation also involved new turf, new screens, new speakers and new seats with brand-new colours. Fortuitously for the home side this weekend, there's no longer any blue in the stands.

The venue also has new glass to allow in more natural light, new lighting on the exterior and a facade that casts a more modern figure on the architectural landscape.

Since the venue opened on Sept. 30 -- approximately a month ahead of schedule -- the fan reaction has been positive, Crosley surmises.

Even more importantly, if you've just spent half a billion dollars, the concert and event-promotion industry has responded even more positively. BC Place is booked for 231 dates in 2012, only a fraction of them for the CFL Lions and MLS Vancouver Whitecaps. The rest of the dates belong to the likes of concerts and conventions.

As the Winnipeg Football Club completes an $190-million outdoor stadium at the University of Manitoba, there are not that many lessons it can draw directly from the renovation BC Place.

But the BC Place experience is instructive when it comes to where the B.C. Lions were forced to play while their regular home was under construction: Empire Field, located at the Pacific National Exhibition site, approximately six kilometres east of downtown.

"When we built the temporary stadium for a year-and-a-half, we learned how important it was to have transportation infrastructure," Crosley says. "Even though PNE had lots of parking, not having access to SkyTrain (Vancouver's rapid-transit network) and all the bus routes made it more difficult for people to come and go from the stadium."

In short, the semi-suburban location was a transportation headache, without rapid transit in a city that relies on it.

While Winnipeg is nowhere near as congested as Vancouver, the earliest this city will extend the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor to the new U of M stadium is 2016, four years after the venue is set to open.

BC Place has its own SkyTrain stop. If you're a Bomber fan, try not to think of that when you watch this Sunday's game.



http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/two-stadiums-similar-sagas-134483063.html


231 days out of 365 = 63%. That's pretty good.

[sacrifice333]

231 days out of 365 = 63%. That's pretty good.

That sounds EXCELLENT if you ask me. I wonder what an AVG years bookings has been? I'd be surprised if it was more than 150d/yr.

[jlousa]

BC Place averaged 200days per year, so a 15% gain in year one is pretty impressive, especially considering it was pretty busy to begin with.

[Pinion]

So I guess the new casino is officially dead with Gregor promising to put a moratorium on expansion if he is re-elected?

(I realize pre-election politician promises are hardly guarantees, but he seems to have little reason to flip flop)

[SpongeG]

nice to the sun out today for the grey cup! i guess they can open the roof

[logan5]

:previous:

I would like to see it open myself. But I think it's too cold for the roof to be open (currently 12 Celsius)

[SpongeG]

seems to be closed

oh well at least its better than the predicted rain

[nobase2010]

The light show outside of BC Place stadium looks amazing during the half time show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eZ2KE5oBRs&feature=share

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjqD7y3pkR0&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

[djmk]

BC Place averaged 200days per year, so a 15% gain in year one is pretty impressive, especially considering it was pretty busy to begin with.

with the WC's new 20 games a year in BC place, this would account for about 67% of the gain. I wonder what else is new?


edit: women's world cup.

[cc85]

I thought the naming rights would have been announced by now. Oh well.

[Innersoul1]

I thought the naming rights would have been announced by now. Oh well.

You know, I was REALLY wondering the same thing watching the Grey Cup last night. It seems like a real loss of marketing potential to miss the Grey Cup. Any word on what is going on?

[SpongeG]

bc place opens at 11 am tomorrow for the 12 noon celebration - is it free and open to the general public? or do u need to buy tickets? a good chance to check out the stadium if its free :)