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Notes |
“Cornerstones” were articles that appeared in the Sunday edition of the Calgary Herald between 1997 and 2000. The following article appeared January 31, 1999.
McMahon Stadium
• 1817 Crowchild Trail N.W.
• Built: 1960
• Architect: Peter Rule of Rule Wynn, Rule. The plans of this Calgary architectural firm are held by the Canadian Architectural Archives at the University of Calgary Library.
• Contractor: Burns and Dutton Concrete and Construction Company.
• Original cost: $700,000
• Construction materials: Steel and concrete. Two miles of concrete beams were laid for the stands-containing 1,100 cubic yards of cement and 40 tons of reinforcing steel. More than 21,000 square feet of roofing material was placed on the field house and press box. Nine thousand wooden blocks were placed to support the seats which contain 68,000 lineal feet of lumber.
• Original details: Lighting the field required one million watts from 620 lamps erected on eight 130-foot steel towers. The playing field was crowned and drained and 110,000 square feet of sod (Merion blue grass on the playing field and Kentucky Blue grass in the end zones) was laid by Cascade Trees under the direction of Bob Freeze.
Historical highlights:
• Built to replace the l6,700-seat Mewata Park Stadium as home to the Calgary Stampeders. In the '50s Mewata was called the "black hole of Canadian pro football." The dressing room lighting and spectator facilities were considered the worst in Canada.
• Calgary oilmen Frank and George McMahon donated $300,00 to the University of Alberta and the citizens of Calgary for construction of a new football stadium.
• In April 1960, City Council approved construction of the 20,000- seat stadium and donated nearly 90 acres of land, which was subsequently leased to the University of Alberta (Calgary) for 99 years. The property was part of a parcel of land that had been set aside for the new Calgary University.
• Fast-track construction began April 4, 1960 and was completed in about 100 days.
• On Aug. 8, 1960 the football field was officially named McMahon Stadium by Malcolm G. Taylor, the new principal of the University of Alberta in Calgary. A six-member McMahon Stadium Society was established to administer the new facility.
• McMahon officially opened on Aug. 15 with the Stampeders playing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Calgary lost 38-23.
• In 1975, a $1.125-million expansion began as Calgary prepared to host the Grey Cup. The major expense was the installation of artificial turf to replace the original grass field.
• June 1978, a sod turning ceremony marked the beginning of a $4.5-million expansion to provide 7,000 additional seats, amateur sports facilities, an underground tunnel and a new press box. At 34,638, the seat count was the second largest in the west.
• June 1981, the Alberta Liquor Control Board approved the sale of liquor at the stadium.
• McMahon was chosen as the site of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympics. Between 1983 and 1988 the OCO 88 and the provincial government funded a $17-million upgrade of the facility including installation of new artificial turf, sound system and additional seating.
• January 1999, the McMahon Stadium Society announced a $1.7- million project to replace the turf field.
• McMahon currently has an operating budget of $1.2 million and is in use 230 days of the year as home to the Stampeders, amateur sports groups, University teams and as a venue for special events. |
