Stadiums and Arenas of Canada

[FrankieFlowerpot]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

The Argos really missed the boat when BMO Field was being planned and they opted out, resulting in a smaller stadium which can now accommodate soccer only. A colossal mistake.

They screwed the pooch with the York University deal that they backed out of

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Toronto/2005/05/03/1023523.html

[nas1787]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

The Argos really missed the boat when BMO Field was being planned and they opted out, resulting in a smaller stadium which can now accommodate soccer only. A colossal mistake.

What would the cost be to retrofit BMO for football? Is it just a matter of increasing the length of the field and adding 10 000 seats? Could that not be done for a reasonable price?

I agree it should have been done in the first place, but a retrofit could be an inexpensive option.

[FrankieFlowerpot]

Originally Posted by nas1787

What would the cost be to retrofit BMO for football? Is it just a matter of increasing the length of the field and adding 10 000 seats? Could that not be done for a reasonable price?

I agree it should have been done in the first place, but a retrofit could be an inexpensive option.

You have to move the south stand seats further back to fit the field as it's pretty hard to do so on the north end.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by nas1787

What would the cost be to retrofit BMO for football? Is it just a matter of increasing the length of the field and adding 10 000 seats? Could that not be done for a reasonable price?

I agree it should have been done in the first place, but a retrofit could be an inexpensive option.

Actually, I have always maintained that despite the challenges (and the embarrasment of having to admit their wasteful stupidity of not doing it in the first place), destroying and rebuilding at least one endzone stand to lengthen the field and adding more capacity to the east stands is still the best, least expensive option, assuming they would be allowed to encroach further on the CNE grounds and re-route a road south of the stadium.

[Steveston]

Interesting to note that, despite the fact that most NFL stadia these days accommodate 65,000 - 75,000 fans, the crowd at last week's Seahawks-Dolphins game at Sun Life Stadium could have easily fit in either Rogers Centre or BC Place Stadium, with about 4,000 seats to spare.

[Nicko999]

Originally Posted by Steveston

Interesting to note that, despite the fact that most NFL stadia these days accommodate 65,000 - 75,000 fans, the crowd at last week's Seahawks-Dolphins game at Sun Life Stadium could have easily fit in either Rogers Centre or BC Place Stadium, with about 4,000 seats to spare.

Regardless of what the crowds were... a capacity of 50,000 is way too small for an NFL team. What happens in the playoffs?

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Nicko999

Regardless of what the crowds were... a capacity of 50,000 is way too small for an NFL team. What happens in the playoffs?

You are assuming that a Toronto NFL team would ever make the playoffs!

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by Nicko999

Regardless of what the crowds were... a capacity of 50,000 is way too small for an NFL team. What happens in the playoffs?

I don't think it would even get to the "what happens in the playoffs?" question. The NFL would outright decline a stadium that small. The new stadiums that are being proposed/under construction now are all 68k+. I doubt the NFL would even contemplate moving a team anywhere if the stadium isn't in the area of 70k. They aren't generally in the business of negotiating things like that. Places in the states usually have to bend over backwards to secure an NFL team/stadium (with threats of moving are used almost as blackmail sometimes, and sometimes followed trough on). The same cannot generally be said of Canada regarding building stadiums. We have the legacy of the Skydome and Olympic Stadium as a bit of a spectre overshadowing any large scale stadium project (even in Saskatchewan those projects were referred to by people who opposed a new stadium).

[Nicko999]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

You are assuming that a Toronto NFL team would ever make the playoffs!

Haha, good point!

[SHOFEAR]

American TV (what makes the NFL so rich) don't want to broadcast a canadian team. End of story.

[Dale]

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

American TV (what makes the NFL so rich) don't want to broadcast a canadian team. End of story.

I'd watch it and I'm an American. Hell, I watch CFL on occasion.

[Welkin]

Originally Posted by FrankieFlowerpot

They screwed the pooch with the York University deal that they backed out of

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Toronto/2005/05/03/1023523.html

The owners of the Argos backed out because they could not pony up the $20+ million that was their part of the stadium. Remember that Braley even had to float them a loan to help them buy the Argos. C & S were very passionate owners, but they just did not have the deep pockets (or access to multi-million dollar financing) needed to take the Argos to the next level. As much as the York deal would have been better for the Argos in the long term, extending their lease at Rogers was their only real option.

[circle33]

On the lighter side yet still stadium related...


Regina authorities respond to Mosaic Stadium fire calls

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ attempt to show some Christmas spirit backfired after residents called 9-1-1 believing Mosaic Stadium was on fire.

In the past couple of weeks, the Roughriders were showing a traditional Christmas scene of a yule log on fire often shown on television on the stadium’s electronic video boards.

But after receiving four 9-1-1 calls, including two in the past two days, deputy fire chief Gerard Kay said it was time to tell the Roughriders on Thursday to change the channel.


Full Story

[Chadillaccc]

The current sports and recreation facility in Fort MacMurray is set to get a major overhaul including the complete redevelopment of all trails on the island, and also including a 1000 plus seat baseball stadium and a possibly 10 000 plus seat football stadium. Quite impressive.


For some reason all the pics I found were black and white, but it's still quite nice.

Overview of the entire complex

mip-ex99_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr




The actual stadium itself

mip-ex111_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

mip-ex109_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

mip-ex107_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr




and the rest!

shell-place-winter-event-canopy_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

shell-place-canopy-winter_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

shell-place-badminton_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

shell-place-2_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

shell-place_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

mip-ex117_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

mip-ex115_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

mip-ex113_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

mip-ex112_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

mip-ex102_bw by Chadillaccc, on Flickr

source: http://www.macdonaldisland.ca/about-us/expansion

[thurmas]

There are whispers going around that the argos will leave Rogers Centre soon. Chris Rudge the argos CEO said on a tsn podcast today that the argos will have to leave the rogers centre and it's probably because the Blue Jays want reall grass at the dome.Where they go will probably be a BMO renovation or going to the new stadium at York and expand it to fit cfl needs.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

American TV (what makes the NFL so rich) don't want to broadcast a canadian team. End of story.

This is 100% correct and is the reason the NFL doesn't have any serious plans to come to Canada.

The crowds would be there in Canada without a doubt but Americans don't want to watch their team play a Canadian team, as irrational as that is.

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by thurmas

There are whispers going around that the argos will leave Rogers Centre soon. Chris Rudge the argos CEO said on a tsn podcast today that the argos will have to leave the rogers centre and it's probably because the Blue Jays want reall grass at the dome.Where they go will probably be a BMO renovation or going to the new stadium at York and expand it to fit cfl needs.

MLSE doesn't want CFL at BMO, they've rejected the idea a few times already. So it's like to happen at York. David Braley owns the team so he could afford a $30 million upgrade after the 2015 Pan Am Games. Varsity Stadium would be spectacular but I doubt it'll happen. Argos used to play at Varsity (1950 Mud Bowl) before moving to Exhibition Stadium.

[Airboy]

Shell Centre Mac Donald Island Fort Mac.

Interesting to see how this is moving forward. I do believe they are scheduled to have a Canada Games or Western Canada Games. There was talk about dredging the snye. Add to this the push to build a 10,000 seat arena near the downtown.

[FrankieFlowerpot]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

MLSE doesn't want CFL at BMO, they've rejected the idea a few times already. So it's like to happen at York. David Braley owns the team so he could afford a $30 million upgrade after the 2015 Pan Am Games. Varsity Stadium would be spectacular but I doubt it'll happen. Argos used to play at Varsity (1950 Mud Bowl) before moving to Exhibition Stadium.

I think it will cost slightly more than $30 million to upgrade the stadium at York from 3,000 seats to 25,000. And anyways - I can't see York closing one of the busiest roads on their campus (Ian MacDonald Blvd) to build a CFL Stadium.

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

MLSE doesn't want CFL at BMO, they've rejected the idea a few times already. So it's like to happen at York. David Braley owns the team so he could afford a $30 million upgrade after the 2015 Pan Am Games. Varsity Stadium would be spectacular but I doubt it'll happen. Argos used to play at Varsity (1950 Mud Bowl) before moving to Exhibition Stadium.

Except that it's the City of Toronto that owns BMO Field and not MLSE. So if the city decides they want to let Braley fund an expansion/change, MLSE could kick and scream, but the city could just over-rule them. It was supposed to be built with expansion as a possibility in the first place, but it was built in a way that makes it more difficult/expensive than it should have been (cement poured where the endzones should be I believe).