Latest news with #HalifaxWanderers
CBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Halifax's long, complicated relationship with building a stadium
As Halifax council ponders a plan to transform a pop-up stadium at the Wanderers Grounds into a more permanent space, it's the latest chapter in a decade-plus long debate about building a stadium in the city. Past discussions have come with a range of price tags for taxpayers and been derailed by unforeseen circumstances, including a global pandemic. "It's a huge opportunity for us right here. Our city is truly growing and we need to get this right, but we've been talking about a stadium for way before my time on council," said Coun. Tony Mancini, who first joined council after a January 2016 byelection win. He made the comments Wednesday as municipal staff presented a plan for the so-called Wanderers Block to the city's community planning and economic development committee. The area is mostly municipal land and part of the Halifax Common. "How do we finally get to a conclusion on this stadium conversation?" said Mancini. The Halifax Wanderers professional men's soccer team has played at the site since 2019, while the Halifax Tides women's team started playing at the Wanderers Grounds this year. City staff came up with a mix of stadium options for the site that would range in size, as well as changes to facilities operated by groups such as the Halifax Lancers and the Wanderers Lawn Bowling Club. The anticipated costs ranged from $116 million to $123 million, assuming construction starts in 2029. Contingencies of 25 per cent were included in the estimates to account for things like inflation and changes made during the construction process. No action was taken Wednesday, and council will consider the plan at a future meeting. In 2023, the Wanderers suggested a stadium would cost about $40 million. They asked Halifax to build and operate the facility with the team as the lead tenant. CFL hopes While stadium talk in Halifax relates to professional soccer teams, the previous debate was anchored on bringing a CFL franchise to Halifax. A group known as Schooner Sports and Entertainment was behind the proposal and it sought municipal and provincial funding to build a 24,000-seat, $110-million stadium in Shannon Park in 2022. Besides professional football, the space would have been used for community sports and major concerts. In December 2019, Halifax council voted to give the proponents $20 million, but only if a list of conditions were met. Considering that the proponent's preferred location for a stadium was Shannon Park, it was odd that council approved the funding on the condition that the stadium be built in another approved location. The proponent's enthusiasm wasn't dampened. "We're thrilled. We thank council for their due diligence and very spirited debate. We're very excited to move forward," said SSE partner Anthony LeBlanc. By April 2020, LeBlanc had taken an executive role with the NHL's Ottawa Senators. But in his absence, other SSE officials remained bullish. "We're more optimistic than we've ever been probably on the stadium itself," said founding partner Gary Drummond in late 2020. The project soon quietly disappeared from the public conversation, while the two affiliated companies behind the venture — Schooner Sports and Entertainment and Maritime Football Limited — have had their registrations revoked in the Registry of Joint Stock Companies. 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup was played in six Canadian cities: Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Moncton, N.B. For a time, Halifax hoped to be one of those cities, but Halifax council voted in early 2012 to withdraw its bid. The reason? A stadium was too expensive to build on its own. While the stadium cost was estimated at between $54.8 million and $71.1 million, the provincial government had not signed on to the project. The city was willing to spend $20 million on it. 2014 Commonwealth Games A different international sporting event was the motivation behind another Halifax stadium push. In 2005, Halifax won the right to be the Canadian city to bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. While hosting the games was once projected to cost $785 million, Halifax abandoned its bid in early 2007 when the projected bill reached $1.7 billion. At the time, Chris Algar, a 1999 Canada Games athlete, described the disappointment of missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "They're saying we couldn't host it because we don't have the infrastructure," he said. "This is a chance to build that infrastructure. How do you suppose we're going to get it now?" Almost two decades later, Halifax is still trying to figure out the answer to that question.
CBC
12-06-2025
- Sport
- CBC
New Halifax plan examines how downtown soccer stadium fits with neighbouring projects
A new plan considers what a permanent soccer stadium could look like in downtown Halifax, but says using the same location as the current pop-up facility would bring compromises for the stadium and other nearby groups. Municipal staff presented a functional plan for the Wanderers Block to the city's community planning and economic development committee on Wednesday. The area is mostly municipal land and part of the Halifax Common. The plan considered what it would look like to accommodate all the requests from current and possible future tenants of the area, including two professional soccer teams, a horse riding school, lawn bowling club and municipal parks staff. "Now we can say, yeah, it is very crowded," said Carolle Koziak Roberts, municipal landscape architect. The Halifax Wanderers professional soccer team and the new Halifax Tides women's team want a permanent 8,500-seat stadium with running water, locker rooms and concession areas that could expand seating in the future. They suggested a turf field that would allow amateur and school teams to play year-round, and could handle concerts with a 13,000-person standing capacity. In 2023, the Wanderers suggested such a stadium would cost about $40 million, and asked Halifax to build and operate the facility with the team as the lead tenant. The Halifax Lancers horse riding school wants to build more stables for additional horses, increase the size of its outdoor riding ring and build a second indoor riding arena to expand their membership and programs. The Wanderers Lawn Bowling Club, which has been on the site since 1887, would like more public visibility and a larger clubhouse that could be rented. The Public Gardens Foundation has asked for a Victorian-style conservatory that would showcase plants year-round. There is also a municipal parks depot on the site housing sports field maintenance staff and equipment, as well as a horticulture facility servicing the Halifax Public Gardens and other parks. The plan offers three different options for how the projects could fit on the site, but all require trade-offs or compromises from everyone. The plan said some options allow a stadium field that could be used for both soccer and rugby, but there is no room to accommodate football without removing one of the other tenants. The seating capacity could also not be expanded unless the province provided land from the Museum of Natural History property. In that case, a stadium of 9,000 to 10,000 seats could be possible. "I don't think this is the right plan — too many compromises and we need to think a bit bigger," said Coun. Patty Cuttell. Cuttell said a larger stadium should go elsewhere that could accommodate more sports and commercial space. Coun. Trish Purdy brought up Ottawa's Lansdowne Park as a better model. The home of the Canadian Football League's Ottawa Redblacks includes a stadium, playgrounds, shopping area, public lawn and skatepark. "No matter how we position it on the block, [this] wouldn't ever be able to accommodate CFL, so I think that's a big negative," said Purdy. Coun. Tony Mancini said the pop-up stadium, where the Wanderers have played since 2019 and the Tides launched this year, has been a "huge success," drawing about 6,000 people for games. "It's had a huge impact to the downtown and it's been great," Mancini said. He also said it's not ideal for drawing more soccer events like the 2023 match between the Canadian women's national team and Brazil. "Two of the best teams in the world here. They're changing in shipping containers, they had to use [portable toilets], there's no running water, there's not a real stadium. So a real stadium is definitely needed," Mancini said. With a second soccer team now using the pop-up stadium, the report said Halifax recently took over rental of the existing metal bleachers and bought "most of the assets" on the Wanderers field "in order to increase public control over the Wanderers temporary stadium site." It is unclear how much this move cost. Koziak Roberts said this report was just the first step and it's now up to councillors to discuss which development projects make sense on the block. The costs for all developments could range from $116 million to $123 million, but Koziak Roberts said those are high-level figures that assume construction starts in 2029 and include a 15 per cent estimate for inflation. Regional council will consider the plan at a future meeting and decide whether to ask for a staff report that would provide a recommended approach for the Wanderers Block, and confirm funding commitments from other levels of government and the tenants themselves. "It is not envisioned that the municipality should assume primary financial responsibilities over these interests," the report said. Staff said public consultation will come once there is additional clarity over what could actually happen on the block.
Hamilton Spectator
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Halifax Wanderers to host Wrexham AFC in under-21 series in Atlantic Canada in July
HALIFAX - Halifax Wanderers will play Wrexham AFC in a three-game under-21 series in July in Atlantic Canada. The series will kick off July 5 at the Wanderers Grounds in Halifax before moving to Charlottetown on July 9 and Saint John, N.B., on July 12. Wrexham, co-owned by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds and American actor/producer Rob McElhenney, has won fame for its celebrity ownership and rise up the ranks captured in the documentary series 'Welcome to Wrexham.' The Welsh side is headed to England's second-tier Championship, becoming the first team in England's top five tiers to win promotion three years in a row. Founded in 1864, Wrexham bills itself as Wales' oldest professional football club and the third-oldest in the world. This marks the third edition of the Wanderers' International Summer Series, which pits a Wanderers development team against pro sides from overseas. 'Wrexham AFC has become a truly global brand and is one of the fastest rising clubs in world football so we are thrilled to welcome them to the Maritimes this summer,' Halifax Wanderers president Derek Martin said in a statement. 'Our goal is to help grow this beautiful game across our region, so we are excited to be visiting Saint John for the first time and to bring a little bit of Hollywood to the Wanderers Grounds.' In 2023, a Halifax Wanderers U23 team played Germany's Holstein Kiel in a three-game series in Moncton, Charlottetown, and Halifax. In 2024, the series expanded to five cities, with the Wanderers under-21 side facing U-21 teams from England's Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough. 'This is a fantastic opportunity for our young players and staff to experience soccer outside of the U.K. and Europe, providing much-needed development opportunities not just in soccer, but life skills too for our young professionals,' said Wrexham academy manager Andy Lowe. 'It also provides us with a great opportunity to build relationships with the local community, universities and professional clubs to develop future pathways and opportunities for young players.' The Charlottetown game will be at UPEI Turf Field, while the Saint John stop is at the Canada Games Stadium. —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025
Winnipeg Free Press
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Halifax Wanderers to host Wrexham AFC in under-21 series in Atlantic Canada in July
HALIFAX – Halifax Wanderers will play Wrexham AFC in a three-game under-21 series in July in Atlantic Canada. The series will kick off July 5 at the Wanderers Grounds in Halifax before moving to Charlottetown on July 9 and Saint John, N.B., on July 12. Wrexham, co-owned by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds and American actor/producer Rob McElhenney, has won fame for its celebrity ownership and rise up the ranks captured in the documentary series 'Welcome to Wrexham.' The Welsh side is headed to England's second-tier Championship, becoming the first team in England's top five tiers to win promotion three years in a row. Founded in 1864, Wrexham bills itself as Wales' oldest professional football club and the third-oldest in the world. This marks the third edition of the Wanderers' International Summer Series, which pits a Wanderers development team against pro sides from overseas. 'Wrexham AFC has become a truly global brand and is one of the fastest rising clubs in world football so we are thrilled to welcome them to the Maritimes this summer,' Halifax Wanderers president Derek Martin said in a statement. 'Our goal is to help grow this beautiful game across our region, so we are excited to be visiting Saint John for the first time and to bring a little bit of Hollywood to the Wanderers Grounds.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. In 2023, a Halifax Wanderers U23 team played Germany's Holstein Kiel in a three-game series in Moncton, Charlottetown, and Halifax. In 2024, the series expanded to five cities, with the Wanderers under-21 side facing U-21 teams from England's Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough. 'This is a fantastic opportunity for our young players and staff to experience soccer outside of the U.K. and Europe, providing much-needed development opportunities not just in soccer, but life skills too for our young professionals,' said Wrexham academy manager Andy Lowe. 'It also provides us with a great opportunity to build relationships with the local community, universities and professional clubs to develop future pathways and opportunities for young players.' The Charlottetown game will be at UPEI Turf Field, while the Saint John stop is at the Canada Games Stadium. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025
