Stadiums & Arenas of Canada, Part 3

[thurmas]

Anyword where Argos will play during 2026 World Cup? I am assuming either Guelph or York maybe U of T ?

[Innsertnamehere]

I imagine Varsity stadium where they already do their practices.. Probably not even that undersized for their average attendance, either.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Anyword where Argos will play during 2026 World Cup? I am assuming either Guelph or York maybe U of T ?

I'm assuming they won't play at BMO at the start of the season while the stadium is being prepped for the WC but do we know how many WC games will be in Toronto and are any beyond the group stage? I wonder if they will just be a road team until early-mid July and have a backend loaded home schedule? Maybe a couple "Touchdown Atlantic" type events where the Argos are the home team? Been a long time since London hosted a game. Maybe do something crazy like a US game, like close out the Bills old stadium before the new one opens that fall lol.

[elly63]

An Ontario university tour would be interesting. York and UofT only seat around 5k while Guelph, Western and Queens all seat around 8k with pretty decent facilities.

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[Djeffery]

Very rare, but Western pulled in over 13k for Homecoming at the end of September. Not sure if that's the largest football crowd since that stadium opened but I don't recall a crowd larger than that. Of course, an Argos game would be outside the school year so you wouldn't have the thousands of students living basically beside the stadium, nor would tickets be as cheap as a Western game. But I doubt the Argos would set any attendance records at any other University in Ontario either.

[northernlights9]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Anyword where Argos will play during 2026 World Cup? I am assuming either Guelph or York maybe U of T ?

The Argos can play in Ottawa or Hamilton which also have CFL teams and have stadiums with 25,000 plus seats. The BC Lions can play in Edmonton or Calgary while they seed a grass field inside BC Place, good luck with that.

Aren't the Acoustics better with the opening 'open' ? Why rush the roof ? If the acoustics are better with the opening truly open, then start construction after mid 2025 after Swift has performed under the stars. Most of her shows are in open air anyways.

[thurmas]

Personally I would prefer Argos play at York or UofT and just plunk 5000 temp seats and porto poties because they really need to keep their presence in GTA. Out of sight out of mind. The last year when they were under Braley and played in Fort McMurray and then Rogers centre did a lot of damage to the clubs visibility when they moved to bmo the next year.

[northernlights9]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Jesus fucking Christ. It's not like Taylor Swift is retiring after this tour, she's in her early 30's. Enough with this obsession with her and thinking Montreal needs to fast track some band aid fix to get her to perform there. Her and anyone else worthwhile seeing in a stadium tour will still be around when they get this place done.

First off, no need to swear. It is Christmas and many are celebrating Christianity as I am, so take your profanity somewhere else. We don't need to hear you take the Lord's name in vain and certainly not during a festive season.

Taylor Swift has performed Once, I repeat Once, in Montreal thru her 6 worldwide tours.

She performed One show at the Bell Center. That's it. Just once in Montreal. Check her tour iteneraries from her tours, it's on wikipedia. She hasn't performed here in 13 years.

For your additional information, this is a Stadium tour as have been most of her previous tours. Bell Center holds 13,000 for a concert, that is 1/5 the capacity of Olympic Stadium.

She didn't perform in Montreal due to the Government's negligence and inaction on the Stadium.

There is no alternate venue to satisfy the promoters. Who's fault is that ?

This would have been a great opportunity for her to connect with her fans here as she has only performed here once. Instead we wait for Premier Lego to do more 'studies' on the stadium.

People have a right to be angry and frustrated.

And while it may not be a Farewell Tour, if she doesn't choose to return to Montreal after this fiasco, the end result will be the same, won't it ? No show is no show. Doesn't matter what the reason is.

Not everyone can afford to travel to Toronto with hotels charging upwards of $ 1000 a night. If she plays Montreal, then fans can see her here without having to be gouged by hotels.

So consider that before suggesting 'fans can travel elsewhere'. It's not quite that simple.

So just because her music doesn't turn your crank, that doesn't give you the right to swear here.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by northernlights9

The Argos can play in Ottawa or Hamilton which also have CFL teams and have stadiums with 25,000 plus seats.

Neither of those stadiums has 25k plus seats, in fact after their renovation Ottawa's capacity will go down.

"The Argos can play in Ottawa or Hamilton which also have CFL teams" How many of us do you think don't know Ottawa and Hamilton have CFL teams? Are you trying to sound like a bot?

[elly63]

I have to agree with C3P0, no need for taking the Lord's name in vain, especially at this time of year.

Univac Swift might be one of the all time great trolls, especially all this argy bargy over a mediocre singer. You'd think it was the second coming of Caruso.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by northernlights9

Bell Center holds 13,000 for a concert

I've read ChatGPT makes silly mistakes and this sounded silly so I looked it up. Capacity at the Bell Centre is 21,105 for hockey, Google spit back 15k for concerts which was close to Commodore 64's claim but still didn't make sense. Wikipedia's number makes much more sense at 15,000-19,200 but I am surprised at seeing 15,000 so often cited.

[Berklon]

The idea that a city needs to base their budget and strategy to cater to a bunch of fans of a music act is completely laughable. How is this important?
No concert is going to move the needle of the local economy - I don't care what the act is. Even having a venue to host acts throughout the year doesn't do much (never mind that there aren't many artists who play stadiums).

In a few years the hype for Swift will die down and she'll stick to playing only arenas again anyway. This is not sustainable. In the meantime, if you're dumb enough to pay the extremely high price for Swift tickets - then you'll probably cave in and pay more to see her in another city. A crap-ton of people around the world do that today.

[Tvisforme]

Speaking of ChatGPT:

This text reflects a mixture of frustration, disappointment, and a sense of injustice. Let's break down the analysis:

Emotional Tone:

• Frustration and Disappointment: The author expresses frustration and disappointment regarding Taylor Swift's limited performances in Montreal and the perceived obstacles preventing more shows.

Religious Sensitivity:

• Religious Values: The author brings up the religious context by mentioning Christmas and celebrating Christianity. This suggests a desire for a respectful and considerate conversation, free from profanity or taking the Lord's name in vain.

Assertiveness and Critique:

• Assertive Tone: The author is assertive in presenting facts about Taylor Swift's past performances and the venue limitations in Montreal.
• Critique of Government and Promoters: The author criticizes the government for negligence and inaction on the stadium issue and questions the responsibility of promoters, suggesting a level of dissatisfaction with those in authority.

Concern for Fans:

• Financial Concerns: The author expresses concern for fans who may face financial challenges in attending concerts in other locations, highlighting the high cost of hotels in places like Toronto.

Speculation about the Future:

• Speculation on Future Performances: The author speculates on the potential consequences of Taylor Swift not returning to Montreal after the current situation, emphasizing the impact on fans.

Defensiveness:

• Defending Taylor Swift: The author defends Taylor Swift against someone who might not appreciate her music, asserting that personal music preferences do not justify using profanity.

Overall Tone:

• Serious and Concerned: The overall tone of the text is serious and concerned, reflecting a genuine frustration with the perceived lack of opportunities for fans to see Taylor Swift in Montreal.

In summary, the author's message is a passionate and assertive expression of frustration over the limited performances by Taylor Swift in Montreal and the perceived barriers preventing more shows. The religious context adds a layer of sensitivity to the conversation, and the author advocates for a more respectful and considerate dialogue.

[northernlights99]

Taylor has only done two shows in Montreal both at Bell Center.

While the entire building tops at around 21,000, an End Stage cuts off several thousand seats behind the stage so End stage concerts generally draw less even with seats on the floor.

Both her attendances are listed at around 14,000 which still sounds low.

Some artists like Ed Sheeran use a Circle In The Round which is why his crowd broke the record for BC Place at 65,000.

Ottawa will lose 4000 seats with the renovations but that won't be completed before World Cup anyways.

No CFL team will opt to play at a University park when they can just play in another city's stadium, those games will still be on tv so current stadiums have broadcast facilities already set up.

BC only has two other outdoor stadiums, Swangard Stadium at 5000 and UBC Thunderbird Stadium at 3000 so the Lions can play in Calgary if BC Place closes for renovations which have already been announced.

I suggest a Two Phase plan for Olympic Stadium.

First phase involves reinforcing the roof and technical ring and cosmetic upgrades like new seating, lights, sound system and baffling.

Leave the opening open for 2025 and have outdoor concerts. Acoustics will be better with opening open as it was in the 70s and 80s.

Then build a new roof over for 2026.

[northernlights99]

No one suggests that the construction timeline or budget has to meet a concert promoter's demands.

But being creative with the construction schedule and having a Two phase approach may permit people to enjoy it as an Open air venue for a year or two.

Not to mention leaving the roof center open for 2026 could open possibilities to have World Cup games inside.

Swift will bring in more revenue in 3 nights than all the events in that stadium over several years.

This is not about Swift paying for the renovations, this is about benefitting the local economy. There is such thing as the Swift effect.

[WhipperSnapper]

Naw, Swift and her partners should pay for the renos if she needs a fuck'n stadium to show up in Montreal.

Befitting the local economy to cover the costs of the investment? How? Top of the list is always hotel rooms. You may want to delve deeper into that on who is benefitting.

[ScreamingViking]

There's also the argument that with discretionary spending, whatever people spend on something like a concert is money they will not spend elsewhere. Whether the ticket-buyers who live in the city spend any more money than they otherwise would have on other things is impossible to gauge, but the vast majority of people don't have endless streams of money. Some attendees from outside the city may just be there for the concert and spend very little on anything else, while others may take more time in Montreal spending at restaurants, attractions, hotels, shopping, etc... but that still means they'll have less money to spend on things wherever they live.

The economic "impact" is a net amount, not an absolute gain. Some would say it's a zero-sum game overall.

Does Montreal want to host these kinds of events? I think that's the key question to debate before getting into the numbers around alternatives for stadium renovation proposals.

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

There's also the argument that with discretionary spending, whatever people spend on something like a concert is money they will not spend elsewhere. Whether the ticket-buyers who live in the city spend any more money than they otherwise would have on other things is impossible to gauge, but the vast majority of people don't have endless streams of money. Some attendees from outside the city may just be there for the concert and spend very little on anything else, while others may take more time in Montreal spending at restaurants, attractions, hotels, shopping, etc... but that still means they'll have less money to spend on things wherever they live.

Exactly. Money isn't unlimited, so when it's spent on one thing - it's not being spent on other things.

There have been numerous studies that show funding an arena/stadium for a sports team doesn't do much to boost the local economy. Some people/businesses will benefit from it, but others will be effected negatively because spending has been diverted - and overall the local economy sees no difference. Concerts are no different.

[J.OT13]

Small update in the Sens LeBreton/Downtown Arena. At this time, they are still negotiating with the NCC and have until Fall 2024, but the Sens hope to have a deal done sooner. They've received many offers for alternate sites from other land owners, but none of those sites have been officially divulged.

Sens expect to stay in Kanata for at least another 4 years. In the meantime, they are planning major upgrades. The one upgrade not on the list is a new scoreboard.

https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/hoc...flats-continue

[northernlights99]

while we are discussing Cost versus Benefit, the BC Government thinks its worth it to splurge $ 200 million to keep FIFA happy so they can host 5 soccer games in Vancouver ( likely some games involving Canada who nobody is excited to watch lose and none to be important playoff games ) though I see they are keeping cost details secret pending a decision on a Freedom of Information request :

https://biv.com/article/2023/12/worl...novations-2011