Fall stadium farewell was early

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/02/2012 (5148 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeggers said goodbye to Canad Inns Stadium last Nov. 20 with a Bombers victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and emotional farewell ceremonies at what was billed as the final Bomber game at the old stadium.

Turns out the goodbye was, ahem, premature.

The football club reversed an earlier plan on Monday and said a pre-season Bombers game on June 20 will now be played at the 58-year-old stadium, not the new stadium being built at the University of Manitoba. That means the team has to dust off the old stadium for at least one game — possibly more, depending on the progress of construction over the next two months.

Also on Monday, the local CFL club announced it is moving ahead with a plan that will see the team open up its 2012 regular-season home schedule at the new $190-million Investors Group Field at the University of Manitoba on July 26 against the Edmonton Eskimos, provided it meets an important construction mark in early May.

It had already been announced the Bombers will play their first four regular-season games on the road, returning to Winnipeg for the July 26 game. That hasn’t changed. But, until Monday, the club hadn’t announced the location of the July 26 home opener.

Of course, it all depends on construction.

The steel overhead canopy needs to be completed and the big machinery needs to be off the field by that date, the club says. If the partial roof is not finished, the organization will re-evaluate and possibly revise its intention to play the home opener at the new stadium.

“We’re planning to have the canopy erected, the cranes and shoring towers off the field, so we can carry on with the lower concourse and field work,” said Ossama AbouZeid, stadium project manager. “By May 1, we’d like to have everything off the field.”

Project leaders won’t determine if the regular-season home opener is achievable on that day, AbouZeid said. The May 1 deadline is more a target date for the club to enter the next phase of construction.

With delays a real concern now, the Bombers are willing to say they are “over 60 days” behind on the ambitious building schedule they set out on.

The reason for the holdup: the weather, specifically the wind.

Cranes have had a difficult time placing the steel 60 metres above the concrete bowl, as above-average winds this winter, mostly in December and January, have made for dangerous work conditions and forced a construction slowdown.

“Were we optimistic? In hindsight, perhaps we were a little bit,” said Bombers chief operating officer Jim Bell. “But you can’t control the weather. I know we’ve had a relatively mild winter in Winnipeg, however, wind is quite another issue and as a result of that, we did lose days.”

As the delays mount, the club has been forced to go back on earlier intentions for the pre-season home game. A month ago, Bombers CEO Garth Buchko insisted the game would be played at Investors Group Field, but that was reversed on Monday.

The club hasn’t maintained Canad Inns Stadium since the last game in mid-November, so there will be a significant cost in bringing it back up to required building and safety codes.

Bell wouldn’t divulge the cost of getting the building up and running again, but a source close to the matter suggested it could be up to $1 million — a high price for one pre-season game.

On the subject of money, season ticket-holders for the 2012 season — those packages sold on a 10-game promise for the new stadium — will be credited the difference to equal the value of the 2011 pre-season game ticket.

No decision has been made on the location for training camp but given the news Monday, it’s hard to imagine the club not holding it at Canad Inns Stadium.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

U of M to hold

open house on

stadium parking

THE University of Manitoba is holding three open houses this week to discuss traffic and parking issues during Winnipeg Blue Bombers games and other events at the new Investors Group Field.

A campus open house is scheduled Wednesday from 12:30 to 4 p.m. in University Centre, followed by an open house for area residents Wednesday afternoon and evening from 4 to 8:30 p.m. in Dalhousie School.

Another community open house will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Canad Inns Fort Garry.

Other community meetings will be held as the new stadium gets nearer to completion, U of M vice-president of administration Deborah McCallum told faculty and students in a campus-wide message.

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“While these facilities provide great benefits to students, faculty, staff and the City of Winnipeg, we also recognize our responsibility to ensure game and event days are positive experiences and involve minimal disruption to our community members,” she said.

“The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Canadian Football League were mindful of the need for that balance when they developed the schedule for the upcoming season. In total, there are nine home games slated for 2012.

“Of those, four are weekend games scheduled on Saturday or Sunday. Of five weekday games, four are scheduled during July and August when there are fewer students, faculty and staff members on campus. Weekday games will also start at 7 p.m. or later to ensure efficient traffic and transit access to the Fort Garry campus,” McCallum said.

“To minimize any negative impact on our university community, we are working closely with the Winnipeg Football Club and the City of Winnipeg to draft a comprehensive event day plan. This plan outlines access to campus during events, transit opportunities, parking options and a variety of other elements, which we believe will make the event-day experience a positive one for all,” she said.

Facilitators will attend the open houses to discuss the plan and address any concerns or questions. In addition, a new website will be launched Wednesday that will provide ongoing updates and further information, said McCallum.