History
During the Blue Bombers' early years, the team played at Osborne Stadium, a much smaller venue located near the Manitoba Legislative Buildings. The fast passing-dominated play of Bombers quarterback Jack Jacobs dramatically increased attendance at Blue Bombers game and precipitated the need for a new, larger stadium.
In the wake of several unsuccessful proposals for a new stadium, a plan for the construction of a new 15,700 seat home for the Blue Bombers in the Polo Park district was approved by the City of Winnipeg in 1952. The stadium was officially opened on August 14, 1953, with a fundraising gala to benefit the Winnipeg Unit of the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Foster Hewitt served as the master of ceremonies as 12,000 spectators watched an array of Shriners, athletes, politicians, and Hollywood actress Corinne Calvet inaugurate the stadium. The following night, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers played the first football game at the new facility against the Ottawa Rough Riders. The stadium became known as "the house that Jack built" in recognition of the contributions of Jack Jacobs.
The on-field success of the Blue Bombers and their growing fan base led to numerous expansions of the facility beginning in 1954, when capacity was raised to 17,995. Of those seats, only 10,166 were on permanent concrete grandstands, with the remainder being temporary seating in the stadium corners. Further additions included the construction of new north end-zone seating in 1966 and expansion of the west side grandstands, including a new upper deck, in 1972. In 1978, the east side grandstands were expanded, with a new upper deck, raising capacity to 32,946. Seats were also added in 1987 when the Stadium was configured to accommodate baseball, at which point its capacity peaked at 33,675. Astroturf was installed in time for the 1988 season which the team welcomed with a Grey Cup victory that year in Ottawa at Lansdowne Park with Sean Salisbury at quarterback. The Stadium's seating capacity remained at that level until 1999, when lower deck benches were replaced by theatre-style seats, the press boxes were enlarged and a club lounge added. Following renovations, seating capacity was reduced to 29,533, the figure at which it stands today.
In 2001, the name of the facility changed from Winnipeg Stadium to Canad Inns Stadium following the purchase of naming rights by Winnipeg-based hotel chain Canad Inns.
Read more about this topic: Canad Inns Stadium
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