BC Place Turns 25

Thursday June 19, 2008 

It was 1979, and the Vancouver Whitecaps had just won the NASL Soccer Bowl, defeating the Tampa Bay Rowdies in New York’s Giant’s Stadium.

As the parade made it’s way through the streets of downtown, a chant started to go through the crowd: "We Want A Stadium!"  - Old Empire Stadium had been built for the 1954 British Empire Games (now known as the Commonwealth Games).  It was a rickety old place that admittedly still had a lot of character, and when it was packed to the rafters with fans watching the ‘Caps play, it was a pretty cool place.

Plans started to slowly come together for a new stadium for the city, one that would be a home for the Whitecaps, the BC Lions, and maybe a Major League Baseball franchise someday.

big_bcplaceeve
Photo courtesy of BC Place Archives

The stadium was built with great expectations, and I can remember watching when they inflated the roof, and how it changed the skyline of the city.  Today, it’s one of the most recognizable things in any photograph of Vancouver.  Although I still think they should have called it Terry Fox Memorial Stadium, but that’s just me.

I was there on the opening day, too.  The Whitecaps faced the Seattle Sounders on June 19, 1983.  They handed out pins for Soccer Bowl ‘83 which would be played at the new stadium later that summer.

Ironically, Soccer Bowl ‘83 was the last game that the NASL played.  Vancouver had built a beautiful 60,000 seat stadium for the Whitecaps and they played all of about 15 games there.  Today the Whitecaps are trying to build a new stadium near Gastown. 

The old place has stood up pretty well, despite having the roof rip last year.  And it’s getting a facelift, too.  A retractable roof is going to be put in place, although not in time for the 2010 Olympic Games.

It’s been the site of some good times for me, too.  The closing party for the staff at Expo86, a Jeff Healey Concert, a few football and soccer games, etc. 

BC Place is part of Vancouver, and here’s to hoping that it’s here for a good many more years as well.

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Comments

One Response to “BC Place Turns 25”

  1. Dennis Edell on June 20th, 2008 5:42 pm

    Awesome photo Rod :)

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