CFL in the Maritimes

[Arrdeeharharharbour]

I'll toss in a couple of off peninsula spots that I think would work well for a stadium.

The first pictured area is about 500 metres from a proposed fast ferry station at Shannon Park. The second pictured area would have multiple ingress/egress options and due to its elevation, would offer views of the city centre.

Both sites would offer beautiful east coast water views suitable for a team called the "Atlantic Sharks".

I doubt the current proponents would be interested in building a stadium at either site this close to downtown as there'd be no profit or at least a much reduced profit from their proposed hotels, bars and restaurants due to existing competition. They're looking to build a profitable entertainment district not a profitable stadium. Is it even possible to build a profitable stadium?




50 plus empty acres by A.J. Forsythe, on Flickr

614 Acres UR by A.J. Forsythe, on Flickr

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

From the main Canada forum:

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

For me it's a hard pass. Just because it's investor funded doesn't negate the importance of major destinations adhering to sound planning practices. Clearly the investor expects to be making a hefty profit, so they'll be pulling in huge revenues from it decades after the initial cost has been recovered while the municipality is left to deal with the negative externalities the entire time. The municipality be paying for the roads and infrastructure connections to integrate the site with the rest of the grid, and paying the significantly higher than average subsidy per transit ride. And any additional developments that it attracts will continue to encourage auto-centricity.

I’m not a hard pass, as I don’t even life in Halifax, but maybe I will in the future. To me, the biggest thing that needs to be planned with any sort of new stadium in Canada, is interoperability between soccer and football field configurations.

That should mean a very large, natural grass field, in a decently central location to give both type of football clubs a chance to be something important at the heart of the city.

Soccer (Association Football) is the biggest participation sport in Canada, and the fastest growing sport in Canada. (Even though Canada has made even bigger strides in Basketball lately). It’s also a far more popular sport in terms of viewership than official ratings statistics show, since so many soccer fans in Canada watch the games on non official channels. Canada might not ever get another NBA or MLB team, and maybe never get an NFL team at all.

More MLS teams in Canada is definitely a distinct possibility, but looking at how even Vancouver could lose their MLS soccer over the whims of billionaire owners and their investors, I think the best option for the long term success of professional soccer in Canada would be a complete CANEXIT from the MLS. If there was a total focus on the Canadian domestic leagues, along with a system of relegation and promotion, maybe Canadian clubs and Canada’s national team could actually compete with the titans of Europe and South America one day.

Soccer is the sport Canada has the biggest opportunity to create a successful, fully domestic professional league… as Canada will probably never have a hugely successful, competitive, fully domestic, professional sports leagues in ice hockey, basketball, football, or baseball league… not when the the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB exists… but the MLS? The best teams in the CPL could actually end up being better than the best teams in the MLS one day if there was a complete CANEXIT from the MLS… but no matter how popular or successful the CFL might become into the future… they’re never going to be able to compete with NFL teams. It might be long passed any of our lifetimes that Canadian clubs compete with the best football clubs of Europe… but even that could be possible one day!

Canada is about to host its first World Cup, and should be looking towards the future where Canada could host an entire tournament like the Copa América by itself, and not be the forever cohost. However, to do that in the most impactful way possible, and to show the vast geography of this country, Canada would need to build more world class stadiums across the country… from sea to sea.

I think it’s safe to say the best location for a CFL football stadium in Halifax would be somewhere with a great view of the skyline, or at the very least, a great view of the ocean not too far away from the city center.

However, a project like this at this airport location could be good for strengthening public transportation links to and from the airport and the rest of Halifax. I don’t like urban sprawl much either, but building more housing between Halifax’s city and its airport could have a positive long term impact in connecting the city with the airport.

I’d sure as hell never take a flight to YHZ to see a Halifax Schooners CFL game, but I might just consider taking a flight there to see a match featuring Celtic and other major European football club, though probably not if it was just against the Wanderers lol.

I’ve not yet felt the urge to splurge on a flight to Halifax, or weekend road trip to Halifax to see a CPL game, and doubt that would change much if Halifax built a new stadium beside the arena, but if Halifax got a serious stadium built like the one proposed, they’d start hosting more international friendlies featuring major clubs, and be able to host major international tournaments like the Copa.

It goes without saying that a major stadium could attract much bigger concerts to Halifax, but that’s the easy part. The difficult part is executing a game plan for both a professional football and professional soccer team to operate out of this stadium into the long term. Putting a new stadium near the airport might be good for better connecting the city of Halifax with its airport, but is such a location really the best option for the success of professional soccer and football in Halifax? I’m not sure, but if they’re gunna be successful, they’d better have a really good plan for better connecting this location with the city, where the vast majority of their market lives. Otherwise, it probably makes a lot more sense to build a new stadium in a far more central location.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I could envisage an entirely new alignment separate from the CNR mainline with stops at YHZ, the CFL stadium, Dartmouth Crossing, Little Brooklyn, and downtown Dartmouth by the ferry terminal. If city council had sufficient balls, they could look at an eventual harbour crossing (query underwater tunnel) to downtown Halifax as a subway. This could be the start of the subway system that HRM will inevitably need.

I have wondered about this. Use the less congested Dartmouth side and connect to the ferry terminal. Build a few km of new railway around the airport and stadium.

However, I think it would be more like an event-specific or commuter rail style schedule rather than LRT. Trains are great for this since more cars can be added at different times.

On the Halifax side the next step is completing some BRT ROWs like Robie.

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by Arrdeeharharharbour

I'll toss in a couple of off peninsula spots that I think would work well for a stadium.

The first pictured area is about 500 metres from a proposed fast ferry station at Shannon Park. The second pictured area would have multiple ingress/egress options and due to its elevation, would offer views of the city centre.

Both sites would offer beautiful east coast water views suitable for a team called the "Atlantic Sharks".

I doubt the current proponents would be interested in building a stadium at either site this close to downtown as there'd be no profit or at least a much reduced profit from their proposed hotels, bars and restaurants due to existing competition. They're looking to build a profitable entertainment district not a profitable stadium. Is it even possible to build a profitable stadium?




50 plus empty acres by A.J. Forsythe, on Flickr

614 Acres UR by A.J. Forsythe, on Flickr

Yeah, looking at the map, I don’t think many people from outside Halifax realize how far that airport is away from the city centre.



There must be dozens of locations closer to the city centre than this location near the airport. The only thing I like about it is that it could greatly improve the connection between the city of Halifax and its airport.

However, maybe a stadium near the airport could help get better bus service to the Halifax Airport across the entire Maritimes, since there’d now be a second major reason for people to go to the area around the Halifax airport. If there was an affordable, convenient, maritime-wide bus option, I think many Martimers could be convinced to take a bus to Halifax for their next flight, instead of paying more for a connecting flight, or just driving there themselves. Trains would certainly be a very attractive option too, but obviously a lot more expensive and involved than investing in a better bus system.

I’ve not once taken a bus to Halifax to take a flight, or just to get to Halifax instead of driving, because it’s basically never been a convenient, or more affordable option. I’d very much consider taking a bus to YHZ if it was a convenient, affordable option to get to my next transatlantic flight… or take a bus to attend a world class soccer match at this proposed stadium one day, and then an overnight bus back to SJ without having to pay for a hotel.

Again though, the only reason I kinda like the idea of this being built near the airport is the slight chance it might actually lead to better bus service to YHZ… it goes without saying that a stadium will the urban core is going to have a much better atmosphere than something built so far away. It also goes without saying that the Maritimes should invest in much better interprovincial bus service, regardless of where this new Halifax stadium may or may not be built.