Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton) - History

History

Commonwealth Stadium was built for the 1978 Commonwealth Games, held in Edmonton. In the early 1970s, a group of Edmonton sports enthusiasts organized a bid to host the 1978 Commonwealth Games. Initially, when Edmonton was chosen to host the games, thought was given to rebuild the existing Clarke Stadium to make it large enough to host the main track and field, and other sports events for the games. However, by late 1974, there was substantial agreement that a new larger stadium was the best option. In January 1975, the Edmonton City Council decided to build a new over 40,000-seat stadium adjacent to Clarke Stadium.

Despite considerable opposition from residents and community groups in the new stadium area, construction began on the new facility in March 1975. Construction of the new Commonwealth Stadium was a massive undertaking. 500,000 cubic yards of dirt was removed for the stadium infield, and this excavation work required 40 trucks, eight earth movers, backhoes, excavators, and other heavy equipment. Construction was completed in 1978, prior to the start of the Commonwealth Games on August 3, 1978. The stadium cost $20.9-million to build, and the original capacity was approximately 42,500. Commonwealth Stadium boasts one of the largest outdoor screens in the world. The Sony Jumbotron has a 16:9 aspect ratio and features full animation, split-screen, and slow-motion replay.