The New Winnipeg Stadium Has Finally Begun

Another chapter in the CFL's "Era Of New Stadiums" began with a sod-turning ceremony in Winnipeg.

By 2012, the Blue Bombers will be lodged in a new 33,000 seat stadium located on the University of Manitoba, which will also serve as the home field for the University's CIS Bisons team.

The stadium can also be expanded to 40,000 seats when necessary and Winnipeg has been promised a Grey Cup game within five years of completing construction.

The old stadium seats just over 29,500 and is in need of repair, so the new stadium is welcome news to the CFL which will ensure the long term survival of the Blue Bombers.

The new facility will also have 40 private boxes and some loge boxes, and lots more scope for raising advertising dollars, including naming rights, etc., welcome news to a franchise that lost $1.2 million last year.

The stadium is part of a sports complex which includes a new fitness centre. 

The entire package costs $137 million, with the stadium costing $115 million and the fitness centre $22 million. $90 million comes from a loan by the Manitoba Provincial Government.

Though it is not said, the new stadium reflects one thing about Winnipeg: It believes and trusts the CFL, not the NHL.

In this case, a proper CFL size stadium will be built that meets the exact conditions of today's league, with capability of expansion when necessary.

In contrast, when Winnipeg decided to build a new arena that became the MTS Centre, they deliberately chose to build one that suited themselves, not the NHL, because they did not trust that league to return, even if they built one that matched the NHL median.

Consequently, the MTS Centre is unexpandable, with 15,000 seats, too big for the AHL Manitoba Moose, and 3,000 seats under the NHL median.

The new stadium is part of a flock of new facilities that may or may not see the light of day for the CFL.

These include a permanent expansion of Montreal's stadium by 5,000 seats, and a new "temporary" 27,000 seat stadium for the B.C. Lions.

There is the proposed (and disputed) new home of the Hamilton Tiger Cats, to be part of Toronto's 2015 Pan American Games.

There is also the "temporary/permanent" stadium being built in Moncton, for this year's "Touchdown Atlantic" game, which many people hope will lead to a new CFL franchise in New Brunswick.

Also on the table is a new stadium for a revived Ottawa franchise, and talk about a new stadium for Saskatchewan.

The Winnipeg news is a great cause for rejoicing by the CFL. It will ensure the long term stability and competitiveness by the Blue Bombers in the coming two decades.