View source for Winnipeg Stadium

{{Short description|Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada}}
{{Infobox venue| stadium_name=Winnipeg Stadium
| image               = [[File:Canadinnsstadlogo.png]]<br>[[File:Bomber Stadium.JPG|250px]]
| location            = 1465 Maroons Road <br>[[Winnipeg]], [[Manitoba]], R3G 0L6
| coordinates         = {{Coord|49.889570|-97.198320|type:landmark|display=inline, title}}
| broke_ground        = November 1952
| opened              = {{Start date|1953|08|14}}
| closed              = {{End date|2013|01|03}}
| demolished          = April–August 9, 
2013
| surface             = Grass (1953–1987)<br>[[AstroTurf]] (1988–2002)<br>[[AstroPlay]] (2003–2012)
| owner               = [[Winnipeg|City of Winnipeg]]|
| operator            = [[Winnipeg Enterprises Corporation]]<br>[[Winnipeg Football Club]]|
| construction_cost   = $483,000 [[Canadian dollar|CAD]]<br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|CA|483000|1953}}}} in {{Inflation-year|CA}} dollars{{inflation-fn|CA}})
| tenants             = [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]] ([[Canadian Football League|CFL]]) (1953–2012) <br> Winnipeg Goldeyes ([[Northern League (baseball, 1902–71)|NL]]) (1953–1964, 1969) <br> [[Winnipeg Whips]] ([[International League|IL]]) (1970–1971) <br> [[Winnipeg Fury]] ([[Canadian Soccer League (1987–92)|CSL]]) (1987–1992) <br> [[Winnipeg Goldeyes]] ([[Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010)|NL]]) (1994–1998) <br> [[Winnipeg Rifles]] ([[Canadian Junior Football League|CJFL]]) (2002–2012)
| architect           = Moody and Moore
| seating_capacity    = Canadian football:<br>15,700 (1953)<br>17,995 (1954)<br>32,946 (1978)<br>33,675 (1987)<br>29,533 (1999)
| record_attendance   = 51,985 ([[1991 Grey Cup]])
}}
'''Winnipeg Stadium''' (also known as '''Canad Inns Stadium''') was a [[Multi-purpose stadium|multipurpose stadium]] in [[Winnipeg|Winnipeg, Manitoba]], Canada.

The stadium was located at the corner of [[St. James Street (Winnipeg)|St. James Street]] and Maroons Road, immediately north of the [[Polo Park|Polo Park Shopping Centre]] and the now-defunct [[Winnipeg Arena]]. Although built for the [[Canadian Football League]]'s [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]], the stadium also accommodated [[baseball]] and [[soccer]], and was used by various iterations of the [[Winnipeg Goldeyes]] and [[Winnipeg Whips]]. The stadium was demolished after the Blue Bombers moved to the stadium known then as [[Investors Group Field]] in 2013.

== History ==
During the [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers|Blue Bombers]]' early years, the team played at [[Osborne Stadium]], a much smaller venue located near the [[Manitoba Legislative Buildings]]. The fast passing-dominated play of Bombers quarterback [[Jack Jacobs]] dramatically increased attendance at Blue Bombers games and precipitated the need for a new, larger stadium.

In the wake of several unsuccessful proposals for a new stadium, [[Winnipeg Enterprises Corporation]], a newly created non-profit organization led by [[Winnipeg Football Club]] president Culver Riley, presented a plan for the construction of a new 15,700 seat stadium in the [[Polo Park]] district. The City of Winnipeg approved the plan in August 1952.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lett |first=Dan |date=May 21, 2010 |title=Not much has changed since last stadium was built |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/not-much-has-changed-since-last-stadium-was-built-94563959.html |publisher=Winnipeg Free Press}}</ref> Winnipeg Stadium was officially opened on August 14, 1953, with a fundraising gala to benefit the Winnipeg Unit of the [[Shriners Hospitals for Children]]. [[Foster Hewitt]] served as the master of ceremonies as 12,000 spectators watched an array of [[Shriners]], athletes, politicians, and actress [[Corinne Calvet]] inaugurate the stadium. The following night, the Blue Bombers played the first football game at the new stadium against the [[Ottawa Rough Riders]]. The stadium became known as "the house that Jack built" in recognition of the contributions of Jack Jacobs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-20 |title=Highlight Reel With Rich: The Legendary Jack Jacobs |url=https://www.sportmanitoba.ca/highlight-reel-with-rich-jack-jacobs/ |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=Sport Manitoba |language=en-CA}}</ref>

[[File:Winnipeg Blue Bombers game.jpg|thumb|left|350px|[[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]] game at Canad Inns Stadium, August 2010]]The on-field success of the Blue Bombers and their growing fan base led to numerous expansions of the facility beginning in 1954, when capacity was raised to 17,995. Of those seats, only 10,166 were on permanent concrete grandstands, with the remainder being temporary seating in the stadium corners. Further additions included the construction of new north end-zone seating in 1966 and expansion of the west side grandstands, including a new upper deck, in 1972. In 1978, the east side grandstands were expanded, with a new upper deck, raising capacity to 32,946. Seats were also added in 1987 when the stadium was configured to accommodate baseball, at which point its capacity peaked at 33,675.

[[AstroTurf]] was installed in time for the 1988 season (when it was installed, the Edmonton Eskimos became the last CFL team to have a natural grass surface, but it would switch to a next-generation artificial surface in 2010), which the team welcomed with a [[Grey Cup]] victory that year at [[Lansdowne Park]] in [[Ottawa]]. In 1999, the lower deck benches were replaced by theatre-style seats, the press boxes were enlarged, and a club lounge was added. As a result, [[seating capacity]] was reduced to 29,533 and remained that way until the stadium's closure. The artificial turf was replaced by a next-generation [[AstroPlay]] surface in 2003.

Winnipeg-based hotel chain [[Canad Inns]] acquired the [[naming rights]] to Winnipeg Stadium in 2001, after which the facility became known as Canad Inns Stadium. In 2004, Winnipeg Enterprises Corporation was dissolved and operation of the facility was turned over to the Winnipeg Football Club.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2004 |title=Winnipeg Football Club poised to manage Canad Inns Stadium |url=http://www.winnipeg.ca/cao/media/news/nr_2004/nr_20040610a.stm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628060523/http://www.winnipeg.ca/cao/media/news/nr_2004/nr_20040610a.stm |archive-date=28 June 2013 |access-date=20 May 2017 |website=City of Winnipeg}}</ref>

== Baseball ==
The original baseball grandstands were built in 1954, at a cost of $184,000, and located in the southwest corner of the complex. The grandstands housed the original incarnation of the Winnipeg Goldeyes and the [[Winnipeg Whips]], the [[Triple-A (baseball)|Class AAA]] affiliate of the [[Montreal Expos]]. The grandstands were demolished in the early 1980s to make way for the Blue and Gold Room and, for nearly a decade, baseball could not be accommodated at the stadium.

The stadium once again became a multi-sport venue in the late 1980s. Artificial turf, retractable seats on the east side stands, and new seating behind the home plate area (the northwest corner of the football field) were installed in an effort to attract another professional baseball team to Winnipeg. Although official [[minor league baseball]] never returned to the city, the new [[Winnipeg Goldeyes]], an [[Independent baseball league|independent]] team, began play at the stadium in 1994. The Goldeyes played five seasons at the stadium, which included a [[Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010)|Northern League]] championship in 1994 and an independent baseball single-game attendance record of 22,081 set in 1997. The Goldeyes moved into [[Shaw Park|their own ballpark]] in 1999, which marked the end of baseball at Winnipeg Stadium.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Deformity Field" Remembered |url=http://www.nlfan.com/winnipeg/deformity/ |access-date=20 May 2017 |website=NLFan.com}}</ref>

== Major events ==
The stadium hosted the opening ceremonies of both the [[1967 Pan American Games|1967]] and [[1999 Pan-American Games]]. The 1967 Games saw the construction of new north end zone seating. The 1999 Games saw several improvements in preparation for the event, including new seats to replace old benches, additional media and club seating, improved lighting and sound, and a new scoreboard.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schroeder |first=Declan |date=2020-08-16 |title=Aug 2020: Legacy of 1999 Pan Am Games still being felt in city |url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2020/08/16/pan-am-flashback |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200816084343/http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/pan-am-flashback-572129242.html |archive-date=2020-08-16 |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cherney |first=Bruce |date=19 January 2007 |title=New stadium? — since 1930 Blue Bombers have played in several stadiums |url=https://www.winnipegregionalrealestatenews.com/publications/real-estate-news/577 |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=Winnipeg Regional Real Estate News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gibson |first=Shane |date=July 23, 2019 |title='The city was on a high': 1999 Pan Am Games held in Winnipeg 20 years ago - Winnipeg |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5669677/the-city-was-on-a-high-1999-pan-am-games-held-in-winnipeg-20-years-ago/ |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=Global News}}</ref>

The CFL's championship game, the [[Grey Cup]], was held at the stadium in [[79th Grey Cup|1991]], [[86th Grey Cup|1998]], and [[94th Grey Cup|2006]]. In each instance, temporary seating was installed to increase the stadium's capacity. The stadium's attendance record for football was set at the 1991 game, when 51,985 fans watched the [[Toronto Argonauts]] defeat the [[Calgary Stampeders]]. For the 2006 game, temporary seats were erected at the south end of the football field, raising the stadium's capacity to 44,784.<ref>[http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061113/Grey_Cup_winnipeg_061113/20061113?hub=Canada CTV.ca | Grey Cup organizers still hoping for a sellout<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116004539/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061113/Grey_Cup_winnipeg_061113/20061113?hub=Canada |date=November 16, 2006 }}</ref>

The stadium also hosted numerous outdoor concerts, including big-name acts such as [[The Rolling Stones]], [[Pink Floyd]], [[David Bowie]], [[Paul McCartney]], [[AC/DC]], [[Bon Jovi]], [[Eagles (band)|the Eagles]] and [[U2]]. Many outdoor music festivals, such as [[Festival Express]], [[Edgefest]] and [[Rock on the Range]], were also held at the stadium.

== Closure ==
Increasing maintenance costs and the accidental death of a fan during a football game in 2006 intensified discussions on the future of Canad Inns Stadium. By 2009, it was estimated that the aging stadium would require over $52 million in upgrades as early as 2012 in order to make it safe and viable for another decade.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 9, 2009 |title=Stadium money pit deepens? |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Stadium-money-pit-deepens--63412362.html?path=/local&id=63412362&viewAllComments=y |publisher=Winnipeg Free Press}}</ref> Faced with the decision on whether to refurbish the old stadium or replace it, the [[Government of Manitoba|Manitoba government]] fast-tracked financing for a new stadium. In 2010, Premier [[Greg Selinger]], together with the [[Winnipeg Football Club]] and the [[University of Manitoba]], unveiled plans to build a $190 million [[Princess Auto Stadium|stadium]] on the university campus in south Winnipeg in time for the [[2012 CFL season]], after which Canad Inns Stadium would be demolished.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 20, 2010 |title=Sod turned for new Bomber stadium |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/sod-turned-for-new-bomber-stadium-1.871521 |publisher=CBC}}</ref>

[[File:CanadaInnsStadium.jpg|thumb|right|350px|West side stands of Canad Inns Stadium]]In anticipation of the scheduled move to Investors Group Field (now [[Princess Auto Stadium]]), the Blue Bombers held a special ceremony to close out Canad Inns Stadium prior to their last regular season game of [[2011 CFL season|2011]]. However, as construction delays at the new stadium pushed back its opening date by several months, the team was forced to return to Canad Inns Stadium for the 2012 season.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 October 2011 |title=Blue Bombers prepare for final regular season game at Canad Inns Stadium |url=http://www.bluebombers.com/2011/10/24/blue-bombers-prepare-for-final-regular-season-game-at-canad-inns-stadium-1/ |access-date=20 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Edmonds |first=Scott |date=June 15, 2012 |title=Winnipeg Blue Bombers now say new stadium will not open this season |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/256796/winnipeg-blue-bombers-now-say-new-stadium-will-not-open-this-season/ |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=Global News |language=en-US |agency=Canadian Press}}</ref> The Blue Bombers played their final game at the stadium on November 3, 2012, defeating the [[Montreal Alouettes]] 19–11.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Penton |first=Kirk |date=3 November 2012 |title=Bombers beat Alouettes in final game at Canad Inns Stadium |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2012/11/03/20328676.html |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628045208/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Winnipeg/2012/11/03/20328676.html |archive-date=June 28, 2013 |publisher=Slam! Sports}}</ref> The football club officially closed its offices at Canad Inns Stadium on January 3, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 December 2012 |title=Bombers set to move into new stadium |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/Bombers-set-to-move-into-new-stadium-183821661.html?device=mobile |publisher=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]}}</ref>

=== Demolition ===
In June 2012, the city announced the proposed sale of the stadium to Polo Park Holdings Inc, owner of the nearby [[Polo Park]] shopping centre, for $30.25 million. The sale was finalized in April 2013 and demolition began soon after. The stadium was dismantled piece-by-piece over a period of four months, beginning with the north end zone and west side grandstands.<ref name="wfp041813">{{Cite news |date=April 18, 2013 |title=Stadium demolition to get started soon |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/stadium-demolition-to-get-started-soon-203544101.html |publisher=Winnipeg Free Press}}</ref><ref name="ws042313">{{Cite news |date=April 23, 2013 |title=Canad Inns Stadium being torn down |url=http://www.winnipegsun.com/2013/04/23/canad-inns-stadium-being-torn-down |publisher=Winnipeg Sun}}</ref>

Items from the old stadium, including seats, pieces of turf, and other equipment not moved to IG Field, were sold to the public prior to the demolition. Other fixtures, such as stadium benches, were donated to local community clubs and sports teams.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 30, 2012 |title=Winnipeg Blue Bombers stadium sale includes urinal trough |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-blue-bombers-stadium-sale-includes-urinal-trough-1.1293006 |work=CBC News |publisher=}}</ref>

The site is currently being developed into a retail and commercial park known as ''The Plaza at Polo Park''. Demolition of the stadium has also permitted the city to connect two segments of [[Milt Stegall]] Drive (formerly Arena Road) which were separated by the stadium.<ref name="wfp041813" /><ref name="ws042313" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=October 17, 2014 |title=Polo Park Target now open |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Last-of-five-Target-stores-planned-for-Manitoba-opens-next-to-Polo-Park-279593422.html?cx_navSource=d-more-news |publisher=Winnipeg Free Press}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of Canadian Football League stadiums]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start-collapsible|header={{s-sta|et}}}}
{{succession box
 | title = Home of the<br>[[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]]
 | years = 1953–2012
 | before = [[Osborne Stadium]]
 | after = [[IG Field]]
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Home of the<br>[[Winnipeg Goldeyes]]
 | years = 1994–1998
 | before = First stadium
 | after = [[CanWest Global Park]]
}}
{{succession box |
  title=[[Pan American Games]]<br>Opening and Closing Ceremonies|
  before=[[Estadio José María Minella]] <br/> [[Mar del Plata]]|
  after=[[Estadio Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte]] <br/> [[Santo Domingo]]|
  years=[[1999 Pan American Games|1999]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Winnipeg Blue Bombers}}
{{Pan American Games stadiums}}
{{Grey Cup}}
{{Pan American Games venues football}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Canadian Football League venues]]
[[Category:Canadian football venues in Manitoba]]
[[Category:Defunct baseball venues in Canada]]
[[Category:Defunct Canadian football venues]]
[[Category:Defunct minor league baseball venues]]
[[Category:Defunct soccer venues in Canada]]
[[Category:Former music venues in Canada]]
[[Category:Multi-purpose stadiums in Canada]]
[[Category:Music venues in Winnipeg]]
[[Category:Pan American Games opening ceremony stadiums]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1953]]
[[Category:Sports venues demolished in 2013]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Winnipeg]]
[[Category:Venues of the 1999 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Winnipeg Blue Bombers]]
[[Category:Winnipeg Goldeyes]]
[[Category:Defunct sports venues in Canada]]
[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Manitoba]]
[[Category:Demolished sports venues in Canada]]
[[Category:St. James, Winnipeg]]
[[Category:1953 establishments in Manitoba]]
[[Category:2013 disestablishments in Manitoba]]