Status of CFL Stadiums
Current Franchise Home Stadiums
This page contains the latest status of stadium improvement or replacement projects in CFL and potential CFL cities. This page was inspired as a living status document by my earlier post on the State of the Stadiums.
For a review of CFL stadium seating, access, and atmosphere see the Hamilton Spectator's impressions of the eight existing stadiums from July, 2010.
Is this page missing something? Send information and links to cfldb.
BC Lions - BC Place Stadium
The Lions will play 2010 in a temporary 27,500 seat facility on the site of the old Empire Stadium while BC Place Stadium undergoes an upgrade. Construction to replace the stadium's signature inflatable dome with a suspended retractable roof was to begin after the 2010 Winter Olympics and be completed in time for the 2011 CFL season and for the Lions to host the 2011 Grey Cup.
cfldb Articles and Single Point Links on Vancouver Stadiums
Link June 2010: Empire Field Revealed
Link May 2010: BC Place Prepared for New Roof
Link Apr 2010: New Empire Takes Shape
Link Dec 2009: Lions to Play on Empire Site in 2010 Official
Link Oct 2009: BC Place to get new roof; Lions to play elsewhere in 2010
Link Aug 2009: Empire destination for Lions?
Link Jun 2009: Lions to be Punted from BC Place
Calgary Stampeders - McMahon Stadium
The primary tenants of the University of Calgary's McMahon Stadium have a wish list of improvements they envision, but private and public funds need to be raised before they will proceed. A new building to house coaching and administrative offices as well as meeting and video rooms was started in 2008 and completed last year. This provided room to expand the Stampeders' locker room and training facilities, completed before the 2010 season. Future changes will focus on reconfiguring the stadium to widen concourses to improve the flow of fans to washrooms and concessions.
Edmonton Eskimos - Commonwealth Stadium
The City of Edmonton recently approved a proposal to replace Commonwealth's natural grass field with artificial turf. Artificial turf installation is expected to be complete by the end of the week of May 17th, 2010. The process required the removal of over 12,000 cubic meters of soil.
The Eskimos are also contributing $7.5 million to $112 million in facility enhancements in the construction of a field house, new locker rooms and office space at Commonwealth. Construction was completed in time for the Eskimos first regular season game in 2010 but caused disruptions for the Eskimos first pre-season game. Other improvements to the stadium such as the replacement of the seats have been suggested as a legacy of hosting the 2010 Grey Cup, but no project or funding has been announced by the Grey Cup committee or by any level of government, though Terry Jones alludes to a seating upgrade 1-2 years after the 2010 Grey Cup.
Commonwealth Stadium seating chart
cfldb Articles and Single Point Links on Commonwealth Stadium
Link Mar 2010: Edmonton to Ditch Natural Turf
Hamilton Tiger-Cats - Ivor Wynne Stadium
Hamilton was part of the greater Toronto area's successful bid for the 2015 Pan-Am Games. Hamilton is slated to build a minimum 15,000 seat stadium with $102 million in public funds to host track and field events. Limited designs and plans are available of the stadium. While work is underway to confirm the city-selected site, calls for an additional $50 million in private funding to enable expansion of the seating to 25,000 seats are being made. This would allow the city to retire Ivor Wynne Stadium and attract major events like amateur sports, concerts and the Grey Cup. However, the Tiger-Cats expressed that the proposed location does not offer the accessibility and visibility to make business sense for them to move. Business groups are working to propose other locations which would provide the sponsorship revenue and funding to allow a replacement stadium be built.
A facilitator was appointed to work out the differences between the city and football club over the stadium location. His report recommends a new East Mountain site be investigated as the stadium location and Tiger-Cats caretaker Bob Young threw his full support behind the recommendations. While a vote by Hamilton city council was pending August 12th the federal government announced they would only provide funding for the East Mountain site, effectively ending the location debate.
Ivor Wynne Stadium seating chart
cfldb Articles and Single Point Links on Hamilton Stadiums
Links to thespec.com before August 12 will be broken
Link August 2010: Ron Foxcroft on Hamilton Stadium
Link August 2010: Hamilton Council Select West Harbour for New Stadium
Article August 2010: Bob Young's Decision
Link August 2010: Feds Make Hamilton Stadium Location Decision
Article August 2010: West Harbour Poorly Managed Vision
Link August 2010: Hamilton: No Sign of Common Stadium Ground
Link July 2010: Hamilton Not Suitable for CFL if Cats Leave
Link July 2010: Hamilton Stadium Decision Comes to a Head
Link July 2010: Hamilton Future Fund for Harbour Only
Link July 2010: Since You Didn't Ask
Link July 2010: Decision on Hamilton's Future Funds
Link July 2010: Hamilton Sites Battling on the Web
Link July 2010: Arguing For West Harbour
Link July 2010: East Mountain Opposition Ramps Up
Article July 2010: Hamilton Leans Towards New Site
Article July 2010: Pan-Am Facilitator Report Recommends New Site
Link July 2010: Pan-Am Stalemate
Link June 2010: Ti-Cats For Sale or Political Power Play
Link May 2010: Hamilton Stadium Location to be Mediated
Article May 2010: Location, Location, Location
Link May 2010: Mayor Eisenberger Responds to Bob Young
Link May 2010: Bob Young Torpedoes West Harbour
Article Apr 2010: Hamilton Stadium Update
Article Mar 2010: Hamilton: That Other Stadium Debate
Link Nov 2009: Toronto-Hamilton Win Pan-Am Bid
Link Feb 2009: Bob Young's Stadium Statement
Montreal Alouettes - Percival Molson Memorial Stadium
A partnership between the Alouettes, the City of Montreal and province agreed to a long standing Phase II proposal to expand Percival Molson Stadium. Construction began in November, 2009 and was completed by the kick-off of the 2010 season. An additional 5,000 seats were added in south-side upper deck and east end zone additions to bring capacity to approximately 25,000 seats.
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium seating chart
cfldb Articles and Single Point Links on Montreal Stadiums
Link Sep 2009: Als Sign Long-term Lease
Saskatchewan Roughriders - Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field
The province, City of Regina and the Roughriders have commissioned a number of feasibility studies regarding building a replacement stadium in Regina. Options for a domed and retractable roof stadium have been proposed with costs ranging up to $431 million. The last study concluded that such a stadium could attract enough events to break even on an operational basis each year. The provincial government was expected to announce whether a new stadium project would go ahead by June, 2010 but is waiting on a response from the federal government. Full stadium news can be tracked at leaderpost.com.
Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field seating chart
cfldb Articles and Single Point Links on Regina Stadiums
Link Mar 2010: Second Stadium Proposal for Regina
Link Mar 2010: Saskatchewan Stadium Could be Built
Link Jul 2009: Other Side to Regina Dome
Link Jul 2009: Regina Dome Stadium Best Option
Link Dec 2008: Dome on Regina's Wish List
Link Nov 2008: Regina Looks at Stadium Possibilities
Toronto Argonauts - Rogers Centre
The Toronto Argonauts have no immediate plans to look for another venue to play in under current owner David Braley. In 2010, the Argos have moved one of their regular season home games to serve as the home team for Touchdown Atlantic in Moncton, New Brunswick.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers - Canad Inns Stadium/New Winnipeg Stadium
In April, 2009 a deal confirming funding to build a new stadium on the campus of the University of Manitoba was agreed to by all parties involved: the City of Winnipeg, the provincial and federal governments and David Asper. After some delays, in March, 2010 the province agreed to provide $90 million in bridge financing to David Asper to allow stadium construction to begin May 20, 2010 and completion targeted for March 1, 2012. The final stadium design is to be revealed before ground is broken. Asper has until 2016 to pay off the loan, and will take ownership of the Bomber franchise upon repayment of the debt. The old Canad Inns Stadium will be razed to make way for retail development that will help Asper fund the new stadium.
Canad Inns Stadium seating chart
cfldb Articles and Single Point Links on Winnipeg Stadiums
Link August 2010: Which Winnipeg Stadium Gets Built?
Link May 2010: Winnipeg Breaks New Stadium Ground
Link May 2010: Manitoba Stadium Loan Predicated on Lie
Link Apr 2009: Winnipeg Moves Closer to New Stadium
Link Sep 2008: Details of Asper's UofM Stadium Proposal
Link Jun 2008: Winnipeg Adjusting Stadium Plan
Conditional or Potential CFL Franchise Sites
Ottawa - Frank Clair Stadium at Lansdowne Park
Ottawa received a conditional franchise in March, 2008 from the CFL on condition of the group acquiring a lease for an appropriate stadium. The deadline for this condition has since been extended. The potential ownership group has been working on saving Frank Clair Stadium and developing a plan to revitalize the stadium and park. The initial vote before council passed November, 2009, and a final vote passed council June 28, 2010 by a 15-9 vote. Many details of the plan are still to be worked out, but plans are for site construction to start by mid-2011 and a team to be fielded for the 2013 season. I have written much on the Ottawa situation over the past two years.
Frank Clair Stadium at Lansdowne Park seating chart (prior to 2007 demolition of the lower south side stands)
Quebec City - PEPS Stadium, Université Laval
In 2008, interested CFL franchise investors in Quebec City attempted to get the federal government to help fund an expansion of Université Laval's PEPS Stadium to bring it up to a minimum capacity of 25,000. The federal government denied the use of public funds for this purpose however. Quebec City's most affordable and best use of current resources is to expand the college stadium to minimum CFL standards. This is expected to cost between $40 and $80 million. A lack of federal government funding excludes the cooperation of the Université Laval, forcing the investors to look at an alternative site, $75 to $125 million in construction costs and a city, provincial and private partnership to build a new stadium, which is very unlikely in the present climate.
Moncton - Stadé Moncton 2010 Stadium, Université de Moncton
The approximate 10,000 seat Moncton Stadium, host facility for the 2010 IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics, will be expanded to about 20,500 seats to host Touchdown Atlantic, a CFL regular season game between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Toronto Argonauts on Sept. 26, 2010. The game sold out in just 32 hours that tickets were available in a 24 hour pre-sale before being offered generally.
Stadé Moncton 2010 Stadium seating chart
cfldb Articles and Single Point Links on Moncton Stadiums
Article Mar 2010: Scoring a Touchdown in Atlantic Canada
