Stadiums & Arenas of Canada, Part 3

[J.OT13]

We received a pretty decent update from the Ottawa Senators on the new LeBreton arena. Still no new renderings.

Very detailed update in the Ottawa Citizen:

https://ottawacitizen.com/ottawa-senators/one-year-lebreton-deal-arena-project-progress

Less detailed, but much shorter to get through:

• Video Link

Here's my analysis:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Some good updates from the Citizen, and less so, CTV. Here's what I gather from it:

• Sens haven't actually purchased the land yet;
• Five more months of planning and potential update in the new year, so I hope maybe for the NCC's January Board Meeting;
• Option to buy 4 more acres, which I believe would give them the complete Albert District lands;
• Parking construction could start as they excavate for soil remediation;
• Full parking will be built first, with the arena and towers above grade built in phases;
• They know how much parking they want for the event centre, but are trying to figure out the needs for the residential and commercial components;
• Project will include the arena, a hotel, restaurants/bars and housing;
• They state UBS and Little Caesars as examples of what they'd like to see here;
• Four years in, we're still hearing that 5 years timeline.

Of note, Leeder talks about the full 15 acres on the CTV clip, so I assume they've already exercised the option to include that last piece. That would make it far easier to build a parking under the entire site, maybe two or three levels, which would probably provide 3000-4000 or so spots (when compared to the one level Lansdowne parking on a smaller footprint with 1400 or so spots). And at $50 a pop for the spots reserved to the arena, the parking could pay for itself within 5 to 10 years.

Having the full 15 acres of the Albert District also makes it far easier to plan around transit, including an enclosed path between the stations, with the arena in the middle.

Leeder pointing to UBS and Little Caesars gives me the impression they are looking at a design that would better integrate with the urban fabric and maybe be inspired by what was at LeBreton before the expropriations, so red brick over a flashy design like Edmonton and Calgary. They also like the player facilities at Little Caesars along with the integrated practice rink, so I imagine they'll want the same in Ottawa, and now that they potentially have all 15 acres, they can. Bayview triangle would be the best spot for imo.

[craner]

^Exiting project for Ottawa - even if it is taking longer than everyone was hoping for.

[Coldrsx]

I'm flying in for game 1.

Love what's happening there.

[Wpg_Guy]

Excited for Ottawa and looking forward to seeing more!

[Calgarian]

Its good to see Canadian cities keeping the arena downtown and not trying to do the suburban entertainment district we see so much of in the US these days. Ottawa tried that and it didn't work lol

[Wpg_Guy]

• Video Link

[Wpg_Guy]

• Video Link

[Djeffery]

I'm on a Facebook page for people trying to see all MLB stadiums. And almost no one on that group says bad things when coming to Toronto anymore. They almost all love what the 'Dome is now. Have seen a couple comments about the "shopping mall with baseball" feel from the more purist fans, but generally the tourists love it. They love the sightlines now, they love the fact they don't have to worry about the weather, they love the atmosphere with having a full stadium every game, all the stuff going on.

Whereas you get people talking about Fenway where they are glad to have seen it, once, and glad to have it checked off and never have to go back.

[Wpg_Guy]

Canada Life Centre in CEBL Winnipeg Sea Bears set up mode.


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[many]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I'm on a Facebook page for people trying to see all MLB stadiums. And almost no one on that group says bad things when coming to Toronto anymore. They almost all love what the 'Dome is now. Have seen a couple comments about the "shopping mall with baseball" feel from the more purist fans, but generally the tourists love it. They love the sightlines now, they love the fact they don't have to worry about the weather, they love the atmosphere with having a full stadium every game, all the stuff going on.

Whereas you get people talking about Fenway where they are glad to have seen it, once, and glad to have it checked off and never have to go back.

Ed


It still could use another 2 billion, get rid of the hotel, which means buying the hotel from who owns it thus creating more space for whatever, a new roof that can close faster and open sooner and a new exterior of the rogers centre and definitely get rid of the sculpture The Audience

[Djeffery]

Get rid of the hotel to replace with what? Another 1000 standing room tickets. The hotel generates revenue 365 days a year, not just the 100 or so (if even that many) event dates a year they get now. Yeah, the outside is pretty ugly looking. I don't care when I'm in the place, and there isn't a ton you can do to a climate controlled building this size to pretty it up. I can't remember the last time I looked up at The Audience, or even was on that side of the stadium for that matter. I would love to see them do something new with the roof with those clear panels so many other places have. Whether it's feasible, who knows. Also, what's the long term plan here. The renos of a few years ago were billed as extending the life until the mid-30's. They've done work in there for 5 off seasons now, I wonder how much more they plan to do if the place is into its last 10-15 years.

[Nicko999]

I know it's utopia but if there was ever an opportunity to fill the big O at least 9 more times a year.

Adam Schefter
@AdamSchefter

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says it is inevitable that the league will eventually have a team permanently based outside the United States.

https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/2089715498392883444

Most likely will be Mexico City as the big O is the only NFL sized stadium in Canada.

[Djeffery]

Stadium is irrelevant. No matter what city they went to in Canada or Mexico, a new stadium would be built to current NFL standards.

[cjones2451]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Stadium is irrelevant. No matter what city they went to in Canada or Mexico, a new stadium would be built to current NFL standards.

Who is Canada is going to pony up $12B CAD at least for start up costs of a team and stadium. I don't think the NFL would go to Canada as the new revenue would not be as high as other countries. They have TV, Merch deals in Canada already

[many]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Get rid of the hotel to replace with what? Another 1000 standing room tickets. The hotel generates revenue 365 days a year, not just the 100 or so (if even that many) event dates a year they get now. Yeah, the outside is pretty ugly looking. I don't care when I'm in the place, and there isn't a ton you can do to a climate controlled building this size to pretty it up. I can't remember the last time I looked up at The Audience, or even was on that side of the stadium for that matter. I would love to see them do something new with the roof with those clear panels so many other places have. Whether it's feasible, who knows. Also, what's the long term plan here. The renos of a few years ago were billed as extending the life until the mid-30's. They've done work in there for 5 off seasons now, I wonder how much more they plan to do if the place is into its last 10-15 years.

U can do a few things by replacing the hotel that would improve the fan experience, also since the revenue the hotel makes doesn’t go to Rogers, so anything there would be an improvement for Rogers

[Calgarian]

No thanks to a taxpayer funded $5B stadium for the NFL. Canada should double down on the CFL in the face of American disrespect. Less USA and more Canada please!!

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by cjones2451

Who is Canada is going to pony up $12B CAD at least for start up costs of a team and stadium. I don't think the NFL would go to Canada as the new revenue would not be as high as other countries. They have TV, Merch deals in Canada already

Different discussion. I was specifically referring to the idea that the Big O would be any type of reason at all that Montreal would be a preferred choice as an NFL team.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by many

U can do a few things by replacing the hotel that would improve the fan experience, also since the revenue the hotel makes doesn’t go to Rogers, so anything there would be an improvement for Rogers

Are you sure Rogers earns nothing from the hotel being part of their building? I'm not saying they get all the hotel revenue but I bet they make more from it than 100,000 or so extra cheap outfield district standing room tickets would generate.

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Are you sure Rogers earns nothing from the hotel being part of their building? I'm not saying they get all the hotel revenue but I bet they make more from it than 100,000 or so extra cheap outfield district standing room tickets would generate.

The hotel was sold as a separate entity around 1999 and remains independently owned and controlled from the stadium, there is no revenue source there for Rogers.

[Nicko999]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

No thanks to a taxpayer funded $5B stadium for the NFL. Canada should double down on the CFL in the face of American disrespect. Less USA and more Canada please!!

With all the respect to the CFL, an NFL franchise is a completely different beast.
In MTL, it is by far the second most popular league after the NHL and I suspect it is the same in Toronto despite basketball's popularity.

An hypothetical Montreal NFL team would easily sell out the big O every game.

In more realistic news. Looks like they also want to build a hotel and conference centre.
Negotiations underway for CF Montreal move into potentially ‘world class’ Olympic Stadium: report

Outgoing Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber said earlier this year that, with renovations, it can be “one of the great stadiums in the entire world,” and called it “world class.” With those renovations being approved since, negotiations are now officially underway for the club to make it their long-term home, reports Maxime Truman of DansLesCoulisses.

Last month the stadium secured funding from the Quebec government to renovate the interior of the stadium, long-overdue work on the venue’s seating, adding VIP boxes and premium spaces, and upgrading the restrooms and food concession stands. The stadium has been slowly decaying for years and almost entirely shuttered, but interior fixes and a a $870 million renovation to the long-deteriorating roof will breathe new life into one of Canada’s most iconic buildings

...
There are also plans to build a hotel and conference centre on that land, which would serve the renovated Olympic Stadium if it is able to bring in concerts, sports and other events that it has missed out on in recent years while it sat empty.

https://canadiansoccerdaily.com/2026/08/...ally-world-class-olympic-stadium-report/