History of Canad Inns Stadium
The original
construction of the Canad Inns Stadium was built in 1952 with a
seating capacity of 19,600 for a cost of $672,000. Seating
additions took place in 1967 for the Pan Am Games, and again in
1972 and 1979 for a total cost of $6,617,000. Today
Canad Inns Stadium has a seating capacity of 29,502.
In 1999, the Millennium Plan’s $8.75 million stadium renovations include new individual seats in the east and west main bowl grandstands, a Daktronics scoreboard and 75 square foot Sony Jumbotron in the north end, renovations to the east club lounge, renovations to the Bomber offices/fieldhouse, facility landscaping and upgrades to the painting, signage, and storage.
The new
Winnipeg Blue Bombers merchandise store was also built in 1999.
The Pan American Games returned to Winnipeg in 1999. Canad Inns
Stadium was the site of the opening and closing ceremonies, as
well as beach volleyball competitions.
The press box
was expanded to accommodate an additional 300 media and will be
used for Corporate seating. Concessions
have been upgraded, and a recent expansion of the existing
washroom facilities has increased the capacity by 30%, including
5 new family washrooms. As
well, to add a little more character to the facility, murals
that depict the activities that take place in the facility were
added.
Canad Inns
Stadium has been home to many professional and amateur sporting
teams. The Winnipeg Blue
Bombers have played in the stadium since 1952, providing very
exciting entertainment for the people of Manitoba. Two
very successful Grey Cup Championship games were played in the
Stadium in 1991 and 1998.
The Winnipeg
Goldeyes Baseball team returned to play in the stadium in 1994
after 40 years, winning the championship in their inaugural
season. They continued to
play here until 1998.
Canad Inns Stadium has hosted a number of world class concerts including Paul McCartney in 1993, Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones in 1994, as well as U2 and a return of the Rolling Stones in 1997.
Amateur sport continues to play an important part at Canad Inns Stadium, with the annual Red Feather Classic, high school football, and other amateur events being played at the stadium.