Centennial Park Stadium
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  Centennial Park Stadium Location in Toronto  Centennial Park Stadium Location in Ontario  Centennial Park Stadium Location in Canada
nickname = Centennial Stadium | |
| Full name | Centennial Park Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°39′13″N 79°35′04″W / 43.65361°N 79.58444°W |
| Owner | City of Toronto |
| Operator | Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation |
| Capacity | 2,200 |
| Surface | Artificial Turf |
| Scoreboard | Yes |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1975 |
| Opened | 1975 |
| Tenants | |
| Serbian White Eagles (2006–present) FC Ukraine United (2006–present) Etobicoke Eagles (2009–present) GTA Grizzlies(2015–Present) Toronto Supra Portuguese (2001–2007) Toronto Lynx (2002–2017) Toronto Lady Lynx (1997–2015) Toronto Atomic FC (2015–2017) | |
Centennial Park Stadium is a 2,200-seat stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is primarily used for soccer, track and field, football and occasionally for kabaddi. The park is also used for the ROPSSAA football finals and the PSAA (Private Schools Athletic Association) on the first Monday of May for an annual Track and Field Meet.
The stadium is named for the city park it is located in, which opened during Canada's centennial year of 1967; the stadium was opened in 1975, eight years after the centennial.
It is located within Centennial Park in the Etobicoke district, just south of Toronto Pearson International Airport and near the intersection of Rathburn Road and Renforth Drive. It was built in 1975. The stadium hosted the first edition of Veteran Athletes Championships in 1975[1] as well.
The stadium hosted the closing ceremony of the 1976 Summer Paralympics and some of the sporting events.
The stadium has seating in a grandstand on the west side and a small scoreboard on the north end of the field.
The stadium is home to the Toronto Lynx soccer clubs (men's and ladies'). It hosts the Relay For Life in Toronto West event each June, a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society. The stadium hosted the CPSL/CSL Championship finals in 1998, 2010, 2011, and 2014.[2][3][4][5]
In 2017, there were calls and support for the stadium to be renamed after former mayor Rob Ford[6] as Rob Ford Memorial Stadium,[7] but city council voted down the motion 11 to 24 on October 4, 2017.[8] In 2023, amid the re-imagining of the park through the Centennial Park Master Plan that was also approved in 2021, city council again considered a motion to rename the stadium after Ford, this time passing 17 to 6.[9][10]
References[edit]
- ^ "1975 WMA News Archives". www.shaggysphotos.com. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
- ^ Glover, Robin. "Voyageurs Soccer Talk". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- ^ "October 30, 2010 CSL--Final preview (from CSL website)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- ^ "October 26, 2011 CSL--preview of CSL Final (from CSL website)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- ^ "October 25, 2012 CSL--pregame article on CSL Final (from CSL website)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- ^ "Toronto mayor backs renaming stadium after Rob Ford".
- ^ Rider, David (28 September 2017). "'Rob Ford Memorial Stadium' proposal triggers groans, gratitude" – via Toronto Star.
- ^ "No 'Rob Ford Memorial Stadium' in Toronto after council rejects renaming proposal | The Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
- ^ "City council votes to rename stadium at Centennial Park after late mayor Rob Ford | CityNews Toronto". toronto.citynews.ca. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
- ^ "Toronto council votes to rename Etobicoke stadium after Rob Ford - Toronto | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
See also[edit]
- Birchmount Stadium – City of Toronto / Toronto District School Board
- Varsity Stadium – University of Toronto
- Esther Shiner Stadium – City of Toronto
- Lamport Stadium – City of Toronto
- Monarch Park Stadium – Toronto District School Board
- Toronto Track and Field Centre – City of Toronto
- Rosedale Field – City of Toronto
- York Lions Stadium – York University