TD Place Stadium
Toronto-Dominion Place Stadium at Landsdowne | |
![]() | |
![]() TD Place Stadium in 2022 | |
Former names | Lansdowne Park (1908–1993) Frank Clair Stadium (1993–2014) |
---|---|
Address | 1015Bank Street |
Location | Ottawa,Ontario |
Coordinates | 45°23′53″N75°41′1″W/ 45.39806°N 75.68361°W |
Public transit | ![]() |
Owner | City ofOttawa |
Operator | Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group |
Capacity | 10,000 (1908–1960) 30,927 (1975–2007) 26,559 (2007–2012) 28,826 (2012–2013) 24,000 (2013–present) |
Record attendance | 51,242 (92nd Grey Cup) |
Surface | FieldTurf(2001–present) |
Opened | 1908 |
Tenants | |
Canadian Football Ottawa Rough Riders(CFL) 1908–1996 Ottawa Junior Riders(QJFL) 1997–2006 Ottawa Renegades(CFL) 2002–2005 Ottawa Redblacks(CFL) 2014–present Ottawa Gee-Gees football(OUA) 2022–present Soccer Ottawa Fury FC(NASL/USLC) 2014–2019 Atlético Ottawa(CPL) 2020–present Ottawa Rapid FC(NSL) from 2025 Baseball Ottawa Giants(IL) 1951 Ottawa Athletics(IL) 1952–1954 |
Part of a series on |
Lansdowne Park |
---|
![]() |
Buildings |
Sports |
Other |
![]() |
TD Place Stadium(originallyLansdowne Parkand formerlyFrank Clair Stadium) is an outdoorstadiuminOttawa,Ontario,Canada. It is located atLansdowne Park,on the southern edge ofThe Glebeneighbourhood, whereBank Streetcrosses theRideau Canal.It is the home of theOttawa Redblacksof theCanadian Football League(CFL),Atlético Ottawaof theCanadian Premier League(CPL) and theOttawa Gee-Gees footballteam ofOntario University Athletics(OUA), which represent theUniversity of Ottawa.
The playing field has existed since the 1870s, and the complete stadium since 1908. The stadium has been host toFIFAtournaments,Summer Olympic Games,and sevenGrey Cups.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/TD_Place_%E2%80%93_Lansdowne.jpg/220px-TD_Place_%E2%80%93_Lansdowne.jpg)
History
[edit]This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(April 2021) |
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Lansdowne_park_1950.jpg/220px-Lansdowne_park_1950.jpg)
The playing field, part of the Ottawa Exposition Grounds, was first cleared in the 1870s. It was used for equestrian events,lacrosseandrugby football.The first permanent grandstand was built on the north side of the playing field in 1908. It was demolished in 1967 to build a new set of stands with an integratedice hockeyarena underneath, then known as theOttawa Civic Centre.
A small grandstand was built in the 1920s on the south-side of the field, and it was replaced in 1960. A second deck for the south-side was added during the 1970s. As of 2008, prior to lower south-side demolition, the overall stadium had a 30,927 capacity for football.
In 1984, the grass field which had been in place from 1908 to 1983 was replaced byAstroturf,which lasted though the 2000 season.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Lansdowne_Park_3.jpg/220px-Lansdowne_Park_3.jpg)
In the late 1990s, the stadium was threatened with demolition when then-city councillor (and future Ottawa mayor)Jim Watsonled a drive by the municipal government to allow a private developer to reconfigure Lansdowne Park. The proposals submitted all called for residences to be built on the site of the football stadium. Massive public opposition and the realization that the end of the stadium would mean the end of hopes to return CFL football to the capital led the regional government to step in to end the scheme.
In 2001, one year before theOttawa Renegadesbegan play, the stadium was the first in the CFL to have a next-generation artificial playing surface (FieldTurf) installed.
For many years, the stadium was known as Lansdowne Park, after the fairgrounds in which it was located. It was renamed in 1993 to honourFrank Clair,coach and general manager for theOttawa Rough Ridersduring the 1960s and 1970s.
Revitalization and reconstruction
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/TDPlace.jpg/220px-TDPlace.jpg)
In September 2007, the lower south side stands were closed because of cracks in the concrete structure. After the closure of the stands, then-Ottawa mayorLarry O'Brienwas quoted saying that this was an opportunity to do a review of the usage and the facilities of Lansdowne Park.[1]Subsequently, a process was started called "Design Lansdowne" to get public consultations on the park and the stadium. After an engineering study of the north-side and south-side grandstands, the south-side stands were condemned. The lower section of the stands was demolished by controlled implosion on July 20, 2008 at 8:03 am.
During the summer of 2008, a consortium of investors was formed to pursue a new CFL team in Ottawa. They bid successfully and received a conditional franchise from the CFL, with the condition that the stadium would need to be upgraded before the franchise could be activated.Jeff Hunt,one of the principal investors and owner of theOttawa 67'swho play in the attached arena, stated that the venue and location are ideal, with over a million people in Ottawa. The organization had reportedly already pre-sold 5,000 season tickets.
In the fall of 2008, the consortium, known as Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), approached the City with a plan to redevelop Lansdowne Park and rebuild the stadium using the proceeds from turning a section of the park into commercial and retail space. The plan, entitled Lansdowne Live! was ambitious and included plans to redevelop all sections of the park. The City, which had received a competing stadium proposal located inKanata,reviewed the plans and agreed to a conditional agreement with OSEG. OSEG would concentrate on the stadium and commercial/residential precinct, and Ottawa would return the rest of Lansdowne Park to green space. Faced with opposition to the plan, the City proceeded slowly with the proposal, seeking out legal opinions, traffic studies, and an urban park design competition for Lansdowne.
In June 2010 it was announced that Ottawa City Council had approved a redevelopment plan put forward by OSEG to renovate Frank Clair Stadium and build 350,000 sq ft (33,000 m2) of commercial retail space, 250 housing units and an urban park on the site. The stadium, which was the catalyst to bring the CFL back to Ottawa is to be rent-free to developers for 30 years. Proceeds from the retail and commercial precinct would be shared, and the retail and commercial precinct brought under City control after 30 years. Completion of the overall development was scheduled for 2015.
The OSEG proposal for the stadium envisioned tearing down all of the south-side stands, replacing the stands with a new structure with private boxes and a unique wood-wrapping around the exterior. The north-side stands were to be renovated to current standards, and the north-side exterior expanded to include a retail component. In September 2010, the management group of what would become Ottawa Fury FC joined the plan to redevelop Lansdowne. On June 20, 2011, Ottawa was awarded a professional soccer franchise in theNorth American Soccer League(NASL) to start play in 2014.[2]
In November 2011, demolition of the rest of the south side stands started. The contract to demolish the stands was awarded for $550,000. Unlike the lower stands, the upper stands structure was demolished piece-by-piece rather than controlled implosion.[3]The concrete and steel from the structure was recycled, and the seats re-used at a new skating and hockey rink atOttawa City Hall.Demolition was completed by January 2012.[4]
On January 7, 2014, Frank Clair Stadium and the Civic Centre Arena were renamed TD Place under a new sponsorship deal with theToronto-Dominion Bank.[5][6]
The stadium was completed for the firstOttawa Redblackshome game on July 18, 2014. TheOttawa Furyopened theirfall seasonon the same weekend after playing their previous home games that year atKeith Harris StadiumatCarleton University.
On October 29, 2014, thepress boxand media centre at the stadium were named forErnie Calcutt,a former broadcaster for the Ottawa Rough Riders.[7][8]
Tenants
[edit]![]() | This section needs to beupdated.(February 2020) |
TheOttawa Rough Ridersfootball team and its predecessors played at the field from their inception in 1876 until 1996, when the team ceased operations. A successor team, theOttawa Renegades,played at the stadium from 2002 until 2005. Ottawa's third CFL team, the Redblacks, have played at the stadium since 2014.
From the 1870s onward, the field was also home toUniversity of Ottawa'sGee-Geesfootball team. The stadium is home to thePanda Game,an annual game between the cross-city rivals, theCarleton UniversityRavensand the Gee-Gees. At the Panda Game in 1987, the game was marred by an accident when at least 25 students were injured when a section of railing collapsed and the result was forfeited.
The stadium has also been home to theOttawa Junior Ridersof theQuebec Junior Football Leagueand the Ottawa Bootleggers of the Empire Football League.
The field was also the home of minor-league baseball. The stadium was the home venue of theOttawa GiantsandOttawa Athleticsminor-league baseball teams.
Ottawa Fury FCwere the first professional soccer club to play in the renovated TD Place Stadium, playing from the start of the 2014 fall season of theNorth American Soccer Leagueuntil the end of the 2019 fall season of theUSL Championship.The top-tier Canadian professional clubAtlético Ottawajoined theCanadian Premier Leaguein the 2020 season. The women'sNorthern Super League,set to begin play in 2025, will includeOttawa Rapid FC.
Major events
[edit]Football
[edit]The stadium has played host to sevenGrey Cupgames, the first occasion being in1925when Ottawa won its first Grey Cup title. It later held Grey Cup games in1939,1967,1988,and2004.On July 31, 2016, the CFL awarded Ottawa the105th Grey Cupgame, to be played at TD Place Stadium in 2017, as part ofcelebrations to mark 150 years of Confederation.[9]The 55th Grey Cup in 1967 was similarly played at Lansdowne Park as part ofcelebrations to mark the Centennial of Confederation.
The stadium has hosted thePanda Game,a Canadianrivalryfootball game between the two OUA football teams in Ottawa, theUniversity of OttawaGee-GeesandCarleton UniversityRavens,in the years the game has been played while the facility has had a CFL tenant. This is one of the oldest and richest rivalries in Canadian university football, and currently the most attended Canadian university football game. Because these universities are not beneficiaries of the naming rights agreement with the bank, some sources prefer to use the name "Lansdowne Park" for the Panda Game venue, although unlike for international soccer (see below) this is not official policy.
Soccer
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Atleticoottawakickoff.jpg/220px-Atleticoottawakickoff.jpg)
During the1976 Summer OlympicsinMontreal,the stadium hosted fivesoccermatches.[10][11]
In mid-2007, the stadium was one of six hosts in the2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.Capacity was then listed at 28,826.
In 2014,Ottawa Fury FCjoined theNorth American Soccer League(NASL) and made an agreement to use the stadium as its home grounds.[12]
The stadium was one of six chosen to host matches for the2015 FIFA Women's World Cup;it hosted a total of six group stage matches, two Round of 16 matches, and one quarter-final match. Due to FIFA policy forbidding commercial sponsorship of stadium names, the stadium was known as "Lansdowne Stadium"[13]during the tournament.
A portion ofFieldTurfand some field-level stands set up for soccer matches suffered minor fire damage on July 18, 2018, during theFury FChome leg of the2018 Canadian Championshipsemifinal againstToronto FC.The cause was lit flares brought in by some members of a Torontosupporters' group,the "Inebriatti",which ignited one of their banners.[14][15][16]Also, at least one firework was detonated during the incident.[17]
In 2019, Ottawa Fury ceased operations after it lost its sanctioning to play in theUSL Championshipand refused to join theCanadian Premier League(CPL). In 2020,Atlético Ottawajoined the Canadian Premier League representing Ottawa, using TD Place Stadium as its home grounds.[18]
Rugby union
[edit]On 27 February 2024, it was announced that TD Place Stadium would host twoCanadianinternationalrugby unionmatches, againstScotlandon 6 July 2024[19]and againstRomaniasix days later.[19]
Hockey
[edit]On March 17, 2017, theNational Hockey Leagueannounced that it would hold anoutdoor gameat TD Place Stadium between theOttawa SenatorsandMontreal Canadienson December 16, 2017 to mark the 100th anniversary of their inaugural NHL game.[20][21]Due to sponsorship issues (Scotiabank, a competitor in Canadian banking, was the title sponsor of the game itself), the venue was known as "Lansdowne Stadium" for the game.
Date | Away team | Result | Home team | Spectators |
---|---|---|---|---|
December 16, 2017 | Montreal Canadiens | 0–3 | Ottawa Senators | 33,959 |
December 17, 2017 | Gatineau Olympiques | 4–1 | Ottawa 67's | 11,671 |
Concerts
[edit]Date | Artist(s) | Opening act(s) | Tour | Tickets sold | Revenue | Additional notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 28, 1987 | David Bowie | Duran Duran Eight Seconds The Northern Pikes |
Glass Spider Tour | 29,000 | — | This concert drew the largest crowd for an Ottawa concert ever at the time.[22] |
September 9, 1987 | Pink Floyd | — | A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour | 26,062 / 35,000 | $495,099 | |
August 5, 1990 | New Kids on the Block | — | The Magic Summer Tour | 30,000 / 30,000 | — | |
August 14, 1998 | Various Artists | Lilith Fair | — | — | ||
August 28, 2005 | The Rolling Stones | Les Trois Accords Our Lady Peace |
A Bigger Bang | 43,000 | — | |
September 3, 2015 | AC/DC | Vintage Trouble | Rock or Bust World Tour | 32,000 / 32,000 | — | The first major concert event at the renovated TD Place Stadium.[23] |
August 21, 2017 | Guns N' Roses | Our Lady Peace | Not in This Lifetime... Tour | 21,204 / 25,714 | $2,144,550 | [24] |
Gallery
[edit]-
The now-demolished south side stands during a soccer game
-
TD Place Stadium viewed from across the Rideau Canal in 2014
-
TD Place Stadium at night in September 2021
-
North stand
-
South stand
-
Field
-
Snowy stadium in 2023
See also
[edit]- List of stadiums in Canada
- List of Canadian Football League stadiums
- List of Canadian Premier League stadiums
- TD Place Arena
References and notes
[edit]- ^"Ottawa closes stadium section due to cracks in structure".CBC News. September 6, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 10,2008.
- ^"NASL".Ottawafury. Archived fromthe originalon March 15, 2012.RetrievedApril 7,2012.
- ^"Tear-down of Frank Clair's south stands begins".CTV News.November 4, 2011.RetrievedNovember 7,2011.
- ^Miller, Robyn (November 4, 2011)."Demolition begins at Lansdowne Park".1310 News.Archived fromthe originalon February 9, 2012.RetrievedNovember 7,2011.
- ^"Lansdowne stadium, arena, to be renamed TD Place".January 7, 2014.
- ^"Frank Clair Stadium, Civic Centre to become TD Place".January 7, 2014.
- ^Holder, Gord (October 30, 2014)."Ex-Riders broadcaster Ernie Calcutt honoured at rebuilt stadium".Ottawa Citizen.Ottawa, Ontario.
- ^"Le Rouge et Noir rend hommage à Ernie Calcutt".Le Droit(in French). Ottawa, Ontario. October 30, 2014.
- ^"Ottawa to host 105th Grey Cup in 2017".Canadian Football League. July 31, 2016.RetrievedJuly 31,2016.
- ^1976 Summer Olympics official report.Volume 2. pp. 230–3.
- ^1976 Summer Olympics official report.Volume 3. pp. 279–87.
- ^Hofley, Chris (July 21, 2014)."NY Cosmos down Ottawa Fury FC 1–0".Ottawa Sun.RetrievedJuly 4,2018.
- ^"FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™ Destination: Ottawa".FIFA. Archived fromthe originalon May 12, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 4,2015.
- ^Campbell, Don (July 18, 2018)."Fury can't solve Toronto FC in violent opening leg of Canadian Championship semifinal".Ottawa Sun.RetrievedJuly 19,2018.
- ^Delamont, Kieran (July 18, 2018)."Flare starts a fire that held up Wednesday's Ottawa Fury game".Ottawa Citizen.RetrievedJuly 19,2018.
- ^"TFC terminates Inebriatti's supporters group status".sportsnet.ca.August 23, 2018.RetrievedMarch 16,2019.
- ^Ferreras, Jesse (July 18, 2018)."Toronto FC soccer fan group triggers blast, ignites fire in the stands at Ottawa Fury game".Global Toronto.RetrievedJuly 19,2018.
- ^"Pro soccer returning to Ottawa this spring".CBC.January 29, 2020.
- ^ab"Canada's Men's Rugby Team to play three summer fixtures on home soil".Rugby Canada.February 27, 2024.RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
- ^"Senators to host Canadiens in outdoor NHL game Dec. 16 at TD Place".CBC News Ottawa.RetrievedMarch 18,2017.
- ^"Senators Dec. 16 outdoor game against Canadiens caps off big anniversary year".Ottawa Citizen.Postmedia Network.RetrievedMarch 18,2017.
- ^Barr, Greg (January 11, 2016)."1987: David Bowie breaks attendance record for Ottawa rock shows".RetrievedJanuary 11,2016.
- ^Simpson, Peter (September 4, 2015)."Review: AC/DC christens TD Place with a whole lotta rock".Ottawa Citizen.RetrievedSeptember 4,2015.
- ^"Our Lady Peace to join Guns N' Roses on select Canadian dates - Sound Check Entertainment".May 25, 2017.RetrievedNovember 20,2017.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Venues of the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Olympic football venues
- 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup stadiums
- Sports venues in Ottawa
- Canadian football venues in Ontario
- Soccer venues in Ontario
- Rugby union stadiums in Ontario
- Rebuilt buildings and structures in Canada
- Ottawa Fury FC
- USL Championship stadiums
- Ottawa Rough Riders
- Ottawa Renegades
- Ottawa Redblacks
- Canadian Football League venues
- Atlético Ottawa
- Canadian Premier League stadiums
- Toronto-Dominion Bank
- Festival venues in Canada