HFX Wanderers make pitch for new permanent stadium in Halifax
HFX Wanderers president Derek Martin wants the temporary pop-up stadium at the Wanderers Grounds in Halifax transformed into a permanent venue.
“I think realistically, we could have space for 10,000 people here," said Martin, who added it would be roughly the same size as the Scotiabank Centre. “There’s a reason why the Scotiabank Centre works so well, because it’s the right size for our city.”
Martin wants the city and province to build a new stadium by 2026, in time for the FIFA World Cup of Soccer which will be hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.
“We could showcase a venue, and promote it to a number of countries that are coming to Canada and the USA for the World Cup," said Martin. "They would then come to Halifax for a month or two and use it as a home base leading up to the World Cup and use it for the training ground.”
Martin also said the Wanderers have proven as a tenant they could fill a new stadium with fans.
According to Soccer Nova Scotia's executive director, Brad Lawlor, a new stadium could also help grow the sport to even new levels within the province.
“There is an exposure factor for sure," said Lawlor. "They get to see the national team playing here. There’s a lot of discussion about a women’s professional league in Canada and that would help as well.”
As for the stadium price tag?
“Somewhere in the neighbourhood of $20 million," said Martin who hopes the city and province step up to assist with funding in the near future. “We’ve had some conversations and we would like to see some of those conversations become a little more active.”
CTV News reached out to Halifax Mayor Mike Savage, but through a spokesperson he said it’s too soon to comment.
Issues like building a stadium on common land and partnerships with the city are all issues that would need to be closely examined in the future.
David Garrett from the Friends of the Halifax Common group said when examining possible locations for a stadium, he would like the Wanderers to choose another location. Garrett said the original footprint of 240 acres of common land on the Halifax peninsula continues to shrink each year.
“This has been going on for centuries and it is every generation who comes along with a new great use," said Garrett. "And the Common is getting smaller, smaller and smaller.”
“I actually agree with them," said Martin. "All we are trying to do is maintain what this location has been historically. If you look back at pictures from the 19th century, this was a stadium.”
And he wants it to be a permanent stadium again by 2026.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.