Past CFL Stadiums - Thoughts and Memories

[TheLionKing]

Throw them in the pokey and levy a $100.00 fine, money to go to junior football. That will take care of it.

$100 fine is peanuts. $1,000 will have more impact on those drunks.

[Robbie]

This is another view of Empire Stadium. Compared to that earlier picture, the roof covering the grandstand is much smaller. I don't know what year this picture is from, but I assume it was sometime between 1954 to 1957. The reason being that the Playland wooden rollercoaster built in 1958 is not visible.

[sj-roc]

Throw them in the pokey and levy a $100.00 fine, money to go to junior football. That will take care of it.

$100 fine is peanuts. $1,000 will have more impact on those drunks.

I believe it's already a grand @BC Place.

[Sir Purrcival]

How often do they levy a fine? $1000.00 fine, Really? I never knew that. Maybe they should advertise that more often on the big screen. It might make some people think twice if they knew about it.

[Rammer]

How often do they levy a fine? $1000.00 fine, Really? I never knew that. Maybe they should advertise that more often on the big screen. It might make some people think twice if they knew about it.

It is posted up for those that see it, but like most things on the screen it often goes by without being seen by the ones that really need to be enlightened.

[sj-roc]

How often do they levy a fine? $1000.00 fine, Really? I never knew that. Maybe they should advertise that more often on the big screen. It might make some people think twice if they knew about it.

It is posted up for those that see it, but like most things on the screen it often goes by without being seen by the ones that really need to be enlightened.

The way I've noticed it, particular about five or so years ago when it seemed to be happening at every game, was that they wouldn't put up that graphic of the Monopoly Cop arresting Rich Uncle Pennybags until after the first transgressor made his move. But maybe I've missed it at the start of the game, too. Not that I need enlightenment. :lol:

[Robbie]

Okay everyone, let's get back on topic here. I created this thread to talk about past CFL stadiums.

Does anybody know where the Edmonton Eskimos played prior to moving into Clarke Stadium in 1938? Below are three pictures of the Eskimos from 1911, 1921, and 1923. That second picture shows Edmonton's Fairmont Hotel MacDonald, built in 1915. Judging from the angle of that picture, the field appears to be just southwest of the future downtown area. Perhaps this was a field on the grounds of the University of Alberta?

[Robbie]

How could I have missed this! Rosedale Field at Rosedale Park, located at Schofield and Edgar Avenue in Toronto's wealthy Rosedale neighbourhood. It was home to the Toronto Argonauts from 1874-1897, and again from 1908-1915. It is most famously known for hosting the first ever Grey Cup game on December 4, 1909 when 4,000 fans witnessed the University of Toronto Varsity Blues defeat Toronto Parkdale by a score of 26-6. The 4,000 seat grandstand is no longer there but the field is still there and it is used mostly for soccer. A memorial plaque indicates that the first Grey Cup game was played there.

[Belize City Lion]

Remember the water filled trenches under the overhang at Empire?
Swamp-like before the artificial turf apparently.
The Lions drsg room was at the entry level for Section Y. To get to the field they had to descend a steep wood staircase under the stands, I assume the visitoirs room was the same

Access to the visitors dressing room was only from inside the tunnel at the north west end of the stadium. I used to love the fact that the Lions and and Whitecaps players would have to walk right through the concourse to get to their lockerroom before and after games.

As for Robbie's poll... Empire is the only non-existing staduim I ever visited, so it would get my vote.

[nelson95]

I'm sure they could hear the talk of the "satisfied" customers
I still have nightmares about climbing over those metal guardrails that surrounded the field

[Hambone]

Okay everyone, let's get back on topic here. I created this thread to talk about past CFL stadiums.

Does anybody know where the Edmonton Eskimos played prior to moving into Clarke Stadium in 1938? Below are three pictures of the Eskimos from 1911, 1921, and 1923. That second picture shows Edmonton's Fairmont Hotel MacDonald, built in 1915. Judging from the angle of that picture, the field appears to be just southwest of the future downtown area. Perhaps this was a field on the grounds of the University of Alberta?

A quick Google Earth search shows a field with a baseball diamond (no grandstand) sitting just off the west end of the James Macdonald Bridge. It's between 100th & 101st Streets and Rossdale Rd and 98th Ave. Looks like if you were to stand in center field and look towards home plate you'd get exactly the same view of the Hotel MacDonald as your picture offers.

[Hambone]

As a side note, there has been much discussion as to whether it's better to locate a stadium near the downtown core or away from it. Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium is definitely located outside the downtown core in the Northeast section of the city but it is easly accessible by the city's LRT. And given that the Eskimos have had the best CFL attendance for many years, then perhaps the example with Edmonton is that it's better for the stadium to be located outside the downtown core area.

Some of the discussion here has been about perhaps a Surrey location. Some have suggested the old Empire location. Relatively speaking while Commonwealth isn't in the downtown core per se it is still located much closer to the core than either of those locations. Compared to Commonwealth's location in relation to the heart of the Edmonton's downtown core Empire Stadium was way out in the boondocks. Commonwealth may not be in the heart of the downtown core, but it is still within walking distance.

For arguments sake use 101st St and Jasper Ave (centre of the business district) as the centre of Edmonton's downtown core and Georgia and Granville as the centre of Vancouver's downtown core.
If one takes the approximate distance from 101st & Jasper to Commonwealth and applies it to Vancouver from Georgia and Granville you land very close to these locations:
Granville & 12th
Lost Lagoon
Broadway & Main
Hastings & Clark

Commonwealth may not be in the downtown core of Edmonton but it's still for all intents in downtown Edmonton.

[Robbie]

A quick Google Earth search shows a field with a baseball diamond (no grandstand) sitting just off the west end of the James Macdonald Bridge. It's between 100th & 101st Streets and Rossdale Rd and 98th Ave. Looks like if you were to stand in center field and look towards home plate you'd get exactly the same view of the Hotel MacDonald as your picture offers.

Thanks for the information, Hambone! At first, I thought you were referring to TELUS Field where the Edmonton Cracker-Cats of the independent Northern League play and former home of the defunct Edmonton Trappers AAA baseball team in the Pacific Coast League. But after you said that there were no grandstands, I checked out the intersections you mentioned and that 'rectangle' is not TELUS Field and instead, is a small park called Diamond Park. That is confirmed by the information given on this web page:

http://www.epl.ca/EPLSportsHistory.cfm

Great find, Hambone!

Historic Diamond Park:



Mondern Day TELUS Field:

[/b]

[Hambone]

hmmmmm.......from the "Deja Vu All Over Again Yogi" department.

Any resemblance? From left to right: Lionheart, David, 3rd Down & Bosco?

[Rammer]

:lol: Pretty good picking up on that Hambone, I would have to agree.