They’re getting a new stadium…Finally!

by Shailene Parsons

A new 33,000 seat stadium is set to be finished in time for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ 2012 season. Woooo! I know I know, this is Oil Country, and we cheer for the green and gold, but seeing as how my practicum is (hopefully) going to be in Manitoba this summer, this is a pretty big deal for me.

Proposals for this venture have been in talks for years, but the Manitoba Government has agreed to help foot the bill by providing a loan (of sorts) to local businessman David Asper, who has had several ideas for a new stadium in the last three years. Here’s a quick run-down of how it is supposed to work.

• Winnipeg’s new stadium is estimated to cost $137 million. The government is lending $90 million.
• The deal – or insurance policy – gives Asper until 2016 to pay it off. He plans to do this with the profit the new ”high-end shopping plaza” will generate (this will be built where Canad Inns Stadium stands now).
• The new stadium will be built on the U of M campus, and will double as the home of the Bisons, and a soft-dome will be added so it can be used year-round.
• A fitness-centre will be built and available for student and community use.
• The CFL has promised to award a Grey Cup final to the city within five years of the facility being finished.
• Plans are to be finalized in coming weeks, and Asper believes construction could start as early as next month.

Clearly there are nay-sayers, especially considering the province budget, which predicts a $1.4 million deficit in the next four years. I am no politics expert, so I won’t attempt to comment on the money-issues, but I do spend a lot of time reading sport fan forums, and it’s been awhile since I’ve seen so much excitement and debate from Bomber Lovers. Don’t get me wrong, financing is a topic on these boards, but the general consensus seems to grudgingly find it worth it. Fans have been more or less desperate for something to look forward to since the 90′s, and this has been just the pick-me up they have needed.

**Side note: A very good friend here in RTA has passed away, so every blog and news update will end with a sign-off to her from now on.

<3 R.I.P. Kay-Hay <3