17°c Partly cloudy
12°c Cloudy with showers
Blue Bomber Report Record: 6–12–0
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Teary farewell to hovel
Old football stadium far from great, but will be missed by many
JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Administration and the Bombers Store have vacated Canad Inns Stadium, leaving it empty, forlorn and ready for demolition.
Related Items
JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Club officials will be setting up shop in their new offices next week before opening to the public on Jan. 14.
It had leaks and drafts and its best days were many, many moons ago.
But it's where Grey Cup champions were built and declared and where thousands wore out their lungs cheering on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
And for those who worked in the Bomber offices during the good times and the bad all these years, Friday -- the last day in the ol' joint before the move to Investors Group Field -- was a mix of nostalgia, excitement and sadness.
"I was in there one last time (Friday)... it was a little bit difficult for me," said Bombers VP of marketing Jerry Maslowsky, who has worked for the club for 14 years. "The trucks were there and everything was being packed up. It was becoming very bare. It was one of those moments you won't forget.
"I've been a fan, an employee and the memories you have from that place, the people you have met, the players... I cherish those moments."
The Bombers will be setting up shop in their new digs next week before opening their offices to the public on Monday, Jan. 14. And with that, the organization transfers from an aging relic to something shiny and new.
"A lot of work and planning went into this to get us where we are," Maslowsky said.
"This is a major project. This is a new beginning, a new era. And I'm sure they are the same feelings people had when the Bombers went from Osborne Stadium to this brand new stadium that was way out of the downtown. But it created a lot of great memories.
"Some of our fans have been around long enough that they are moving into their third stadium. People have related it to moving out of a house... but imagine it's not four or five, but an entire organization.
"We're moving our family, our fans, into a state-of-the-art facility.
"It's massive and it's exciting."
ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPEdTait
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 5, 2013 C2
More Bomber Report
- Back to Top
- Return to Bomber Report
More Bomber Report
(1 of 6 articles for this month)
Blue Bombers axe Green, Matechuk and Yenga
1:00 AM 0THE Winnipeg Blue Bombers have trimmed their roster just over one week before the opening of training camp.
Cut adrift on ...
Poll
Most Popular Bomber Report
- Blue Bombers axe Green, Matechuk and Yenga
- Bombers cut Green, Yenga, Matechuk
- Buck 'goes long' for Winnipeg
- Big Blue will have one helluva punter
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Goodbye phone call upended QB's plans
- Argos release ex-Bomber Brink
- Man with no plan tries again
- Grudge matches against 'the Buono' unwise
- Bombers training camp opens June 2
- Big Blue will have one helluva punter
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Buck 'goes long' for Winnipeg
- Bombers cut Green, Yenga, Matechuk
- Argos release ex-Bomber Brink
- Blue Bombers axe Green, Matechuk and Yenga
- Bombers training camp opens June 2
- Goodbye phone call upended QB's plans
- Man with no plan tries again
- Blue sign draft picks Fitzgerald, Pavlopoulos
- Bombers detail parking plan for new stadium
- Bomber boozers will change or they 'won't be here': GM Mack
- Hall turning heads at Bomber mini-camp
- Bombers are watching you
- CFL draft pick Mulumba would be proud to be a Bomber
- Bomber security to wave wands this season
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Bomber GM silent on Tebow's CFL prospects
- Packers prospect a risky pick
- Big Blue will have one helluva punter
- Buck 'goes long' for Winnipeg
- Argos release ex-Bomber Brink
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Bombers detail parking plan for new stadium
- Buck 'goes long' for Winnipeg
- Bombers tackle parking issue
- Game ball to tour communities before grand opening of new Bomber stadium
- Hall, Clement go to school
- Blue Bombers board of directors accepting nominations
- Bomber security to wave wands this season
- Bombers handing off opening-day ball to fans
- New Blue stadium lives up to the hype; now it's up to you
- Bombers GM agrees with coach: players need to act like pros
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.