Halifax Stadium Forum (interesting)

CFL Talk
1

A group of people have been involved in a discussion about trying to bring a stadium to Halifax. They have managed to come up with a letter that got printed in Spacing Atlantic. The following address should be correct to take you there.

spacingatlantic.ca/2009/11/25/pipe-dreams-a-new-stadium-in-halifax/

The first link within the article will take you to a 19 page discussion forum. I have spent some time following this and intend to join in with support and any ideas I may have to help out. Perhaps some of you will do the same. I am sure our support as CFL fans would be appreciated as well as any ideas we could offer. Ideas of how to get organized, create a proper website etc.

2

I have continued to follow this forum as it continues on. Recently a 6 page summary of the views on this thread was e-mailed to several Halifax Reginal Municipality councillors and a couple of responses have come back in support of a stadium in Halifax. Perhaps just baby steps but it all has to start somewhere. The 6 page document and the responses from the councillors are both on page 26 of the forum.

3

We can only hope, hopefully they can tie it in with amateur sports, bubble something in the winter, bring the world university games or something to Halifax, whatever it takes,, Nova Scotia has some great CIS football programs, they deserve an excellent stadium, a chance to host a Vanier Cup and then perhaps a CFL team and onwards to a Grey Cup. To see a national championship football game played in a great province would be a dream.

4

The link to page 26 should be

[url]Halifax Stadium Discussion - Page 26 - SkyscraperPage Forum

5

Things have progressed further as there is now a new web site which has been created by a member involved in the discussion forum. It is in it's infancy but provides some information about the goal of the new web site as well as various links to petitions, polls, etc. The link is at...

[url]http://halifaxstadium.ca/[/url]

6

Beauty!

7

Great work MaritimeCFLfan in promoting our cause for a stadium in Halifax.

8

Having read through the Skyscraperpage Halifax Stadium Forum, I can't believe the effort that you (Fenwick16) have put toward the cause. A grassroots effort to provide a focal point for those interested in a stadium has been a long time coming. I can't express enough how much I appreciate what you have done.
As for fundraising, have you considered affiliating with the Atlantic Schooners group led by John Ryerson. They already have connections within the league, and may therefore be able to lead you to those who could tell you what you would need stadium wise. I believe there would be an interest in Atlantic Schooners merchandise, probably even on a national scale given the support maritimer football fans have recieved from other fans nationwide. I also think there would be local support for Halifax Stadium merchandise, and if you wanted to get rights from the CFL to use their logo, CFL Halifax or "My CFL Includes Halifax" merchandise.
Anyhow, thanks again, and best of luck!

9

I agree Fenwick16 has done a great job on this project. As for the merchandise idea I think it would be a great idea. Count me in as 1 person that would buy my share of merchandise. The profits from the merchandise sold would be added into the stadium trust fund. Also agree that contacting John Ryerson is a great idea. I had suggested this on the Skyscraper Forum as well, I think Fenwick16 had attempted to through the Atlantic Schooners site but not sure what the outcome was.

10

John Ryerson posts on this site under the name schooner1.

11

So we have a website. Whoopeedooo.
Why can't anybody out east build something similar to what BC is building for the Lions?
It can be a temporary stadium just to get the franchise going.
Then you can build something better later on.
Although it better be sooner then later.
But enough of the diagrams and websites.
Just get something built.
Get er done!

12

I share your impatience about this matter but also realize that no matter what you or I say there is still a process that needs to be followed, usually a long and tedious one with slim chances of succeeding in the end but the effort still has to be made.
At least this forum group shows that there is indeed interest out there and a will of some to try and start the process of getting er done!

13

This is a grass roots effort to light a fire under the movers and shakers, and it's exactly what is needed. Without this kind of community support, no politician will ever have enough gumption to stand up and demand a stadium be built.

As for building a "temporary" stadium now in the hopes that it will lead to a better stadium later, dream on. Build it right the first time because it will be generations before you get another one. It's taken Hamilton, what, 80 years to finally get the go-ahead to build a new venue?

14

I haven't heard or read anybody say anything against a new CFL team somewhere in Atlantic Canada, even though the preferred location is not unanimous. It seems inevitable that there will be a CFL franchise in Atlantic Canada some time in the not too distant future (let's say within the decade). Perhaps we could convince the CFL forums guys to start up a separate forum for Atlantic Expansion, or expansion in general. After all, there's an Ottawa forum, even though their team isn't on the field yet, there's a party for the Atlantic Schooners at the Grey Cup, and I'm sure Atlantic expansion is a topic that's the subject of many threads. Among other things, an Atlantic Expansion forum would be a good place to discuss the merits of the two leading candidate cities of Halifax and Moncton.

15

The Lions temporary home will go a long way in establishing in stadium in the maritimes. What can be done for “x” amount of dollars. Just as the Molson renovations will aid in the discussion of what the cost is of renovating Frank Clair. These projects really help other cities/franchises budget when approaching public/private investment avenues.

16

It’s always good to get the “common folks” involved in a grass roots effort especially when the tree hugging politicians want nothing to do with such a project.
It is also quite evident from afar and based on the history of Halifax and especially the crucial bailing from the last Commonwealth bid, how there is no political will or a major power broker to get things really moving and being the catalyst.
Having said that, what makes anyone now think that this latest well intention attempt by the few will result in anything different than the past.
Regardless, it is very sad how a beautiful city and region cannot get their act together and for the sake of sport which would not only enhance the likelihood of CFL football, but athletics in general.
I say the CFL should stay clear where they are clearly not wanted and shift all efforts into Moncton.
Then the politicians or “stooges”(no disrespect to the memory of the smarter and actual Three Stooges) in Halifax may realize but of course will never admit of missing the boat.

17

Certainly from what I've seen and read, no question Moncton is much more progressive towards the benefits of what a CFL team and stadium could do for the city and immediate area compared with Halifax.

18

Here's why I like Moncton so much:

Moncton CFL story in this year's spotlight

[i]It was one of New Brunswick's highest profile sports stories in 2009.

It will also be one of the province's top sports stories in 2010 and likely well beyond that. It was officially announced on Oct. 15 that the Canadian Football League will play its first-ever regular season game in the Atlantic region next September in Moncton.

The Toronto Argonauts will be the home team in this historic contest at the Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium, which will have a 20,000 capacity for this event. Their opponent and the date will likely be announced in January.

CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon led off with a joke during a glitzy and jam-packed news conference. "Did anybody know about this?," he asked knowing that details had already leaked out the media.

Cohon also recounted a conversation that he had with Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc about next year's game here.

"I said 'This would be like a mini Grey Cup weekend' and he got offended," said a smiling Cohon. "He said 'What do you mean, mini?'"

LeBlanc was beaming with pride as he spoke at the news conference. He told the gathering that "I don't know what the weather will be like for this game, but I can promise you that the sun will be shining on Moncton that day."

This will be the first major league regular season game for any sport in Atlantic Canada. The federal and provincial governments combined to invest $1.5 million to create a full weekend of community events around Moncton's CFL game.

Cohon and LeBlanc were joined at the head table during the news conference by New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham and federal Defence Minister Peter MacKay, the minister responsible for the Atlantic Gateway.

It appears that Moncton's CFL game will take place on a Sunday afternoon.

It's expected there will be a high school football game on Friday, a university football game on Saturday, a street party and numerous community events to create a festival atmosphere.

Moncton is looking to host one CFL regular season game per year for the next five years. With a new stadium that can be expanded to at least 25,000 capacity and brought up to CFL standards, this has renewed talk of the league expanding into the Atlantic region some day.

The Atlantic Schooners were scheduled to begin play in 1984 in Halifax, but they died when federal financing for a stadium fell through.

That's really where the dream of a Moncton franchise got started.

Moncton is the geographic centre of the Maritimes and it has by far the region's biggest drawing power with 1.3 million people who live within a 2.5 hour drive. An Atlantic franchise would clearly need regional support and Moncton is the only place on the East Coast that has a suitable stadium.

"Here's the way I look at it," said LeBlanc. "I know that the topic of a Canadian Football League team in Moncton has been bandied about for quite some time. There are those who think it would absolutely work and there are those who are very skeptical about it.

"My view is the old saying that you have to learn how to crawl before you walk. That's exactly what we're doing here."

Part of Moncton's crawl involved a trip to Calgary for this year's Grey Cup. LeBlanc and Ian Fowler, Moncton's general manager of recreation, parks, tourism and culture, spent four days there as guests of the CFL commissioner.

It was an opportunity for Moncton to wave its flag and to further strengthen its relationship with the CFL. Moncton met with a wide range of people, learned about the Grey Cup's festival side and pick up ideas to make next year's game here memorable.

LeBlanc, Fowler and I stayed in the Grey Cup headquarters hotel. We were in the centre of the action and I watched them work the crowds.

"From my standpoint as the mayor of Moncton, I'm here to promote the game in Moncton," said LeBlanc. "I take my role as an ambassador for the city seriously. Every single opportunity I've had I've invited people from across the country to come to Moncton.

"I talked to the premier of Saskatchewan and we had a great chat about him and his family coming to Moncton. I spoke to many of the national sports media at the Grey Cup and I gave them a personal invitation to come to Moncton for next year's game.

"I talked to Michael Landsberg, who does the Off The Record show on TSN. I offered an invitation for him to come to Moncton for our game and he expressed a great interest in doing a show here. That would be a fantastic opportunity for Moncton."

LeBlanc and Fowler met with several CFL corporate sponsors at the Grey Cup.

It was an opportunity to invite them to come to Moncton and be part of the event surrounding our game.

"It was an invaluable opportunity for us to promote Moncton and to attract people," said LeBlanc. "We want businesses and the national media to take notice of Moncton and the great city we have and the great opportunities we have to host big sporting events."

Moncton's CFL game will be nationally televised on TSN. That's better advertising than the city could ever buy.

"You can be sure the talk will be about expanding the CFL into the Atlantic region," said LeBlanc. "You can be sure that Moncton will be top of mind in every conversation that happens in the media about the CFL coming into the Atlantic region. People will be taking notice of Moncton and what we do at this game."

  • Neil Hodge is a Times & Transcript sports reporter.[/i]

Times & Transcript, Dec. 29/09

19

I gotta go to Moncton. It sure sounds as if it's an incredibly dynamic and progressive place! Not to mention one of the oldest places in the country. It obviously has some very motivated people running the show!

20

I have to go there to. Would love to take in the game there, have to convince the wife we could make it a mini-holiday, I think Moncton is near the ocean so some nice scenery I'm sure. I met a some people from New Brunswick years ago when I was working out west in Fort McMurray and they were a real fun bunch I must say. Maybe not quite as fun as the Newfies out there (Newfies were TOO much fun for me, couldn't party with them on their level have to admit, well to their level maybe is a better way of saying it, man can they put back the juice! :o )