Blue and Gold

Fan Letter from David Asper

Dear Fans,

If the process leading up to today is anything like child birth I want to begin by offering a hearty salute to mothers everywhere in Manitoba!

I’m humbled and feeling very honoured to be standing here as part of the process that is going to result in the building of a new stadium.

It’s a truism in life that few if any good things come without a lot of hard work and getting the new stadium is no exception.

Many people have committed themselves to this project with a level of dedication that is more than simply remarkable.

I’ll acknowledge many of them in due course but I want to begin with Dan Edwards, who is the CEO of Creswin Properties. As I’ve told you before, Dan is the person who has to deal with my crazy ideas, and when I went to him and said if we built a mall how much could we afford to put toward a stadium, his look was something that should be etched on the wall somewhere.

Through the original concept at Polo Park with a detour in Point Douglas and now landing at the U of M, Dan has been a stalwart in adjusting with the flow and making sure that this deal makes sense for all of the stakeholders.

The next acknowledgement is probably the most heartfelt and it is to you the fans. Tens of thousands of you have either directly or indirectly told us to keep going and get it done. When we started the process, we promised that the end product was about you, the fans, and you have no idea how much your support has meant over the past few years. Many times we wondered whether things would ever come together and, in those moments, all I had to do was flip through your emails and letters in order to rekindle my inspiration.

To the fans and to the larger community of Winnipeg and Manitoba, I say that today is really your day.

In the end, however, none of this would be possible without the people who have spoken before me. The Mayor understood this deal from the outset and he needed no convincing that we needed a new stadium.

Former Premier Doer and Premier Selinger got it. And let’s be very clear, shortly after being elected as the new leader of his party, I went to meet Premier Selinger to explain what this was all about and why we were having some difficulty. With hardly any prompting, he moved quickly into looking at how to get it done, subject to the proviso that the deal must remain private sector led. The financial arrangements that have been presented today are the product of the Mayor and Premier working together to make something happen.

Dr. Barnard is actually the person who enabled the whole University of Manitoba site plan and I’m so glad that the campus is going to be home to this fantastic amenity along with the new fitness facility. It’s going to create new energy on campus and I know that Coach Dobie will have an extra recruiting advantage now that his team is going to be playing in the most modern and best football facility in Canada.

Finally, what has, I think, really gotten this ball over the goal line is the collaboration with, and effort made by, the Winnipeg Football Club. Ken Hildahl, Bill Watchorn, Eugene Kostyra and Ken Matchett have done an amazing job and the fans should feel very secure in the leadership they bring to the Board of Directors.

Now, it’s time to build a stadium and a shopping centre.

We made a promise at the very beginning that this stadium would not compromise on fan comfort, amenities and the dynamism of the game day experience. We haven’t.

This will be a 33,000 seat full bowl with 21” seats and plenty of leg room. There will be almost 21,000 seats in the lower bowl alone and every seat will offer a great view of the action. In case you miss something, two huge video screens will be placed at either end. When we have a Grey cup or other large event, we’ll expand to over 40,000 seats and be able to elevate the video screens so that everyone can see no matter where you’re located. We’ll have more and more varied concessions and way more washrooms.

In short, this stadium that we’ll be building is true to our word.

There will be 40 suites. A modern media facility. And in case you forgot who played quarterback in 1972, we’ll celebrate the history of our football team with a permanent Hall of Fame.

When we repay the bridge financing, it will be because we’ve created a world class shopping destination as part of a makeover of the Polo Park precinct. The fact that we can now tell our tenants when their stores can open is critical, and I expect that within the next several weeks, we’ll be giving you much more detail in that regard. We’ve made huge progress and are very close to showing you that it’s going to be a really big deal for the retail sector.

So what’s next?

We started detailed final design a couple of months ago. The site has already been surveyed and geotechnical drilling is also complete. Within the next 2-3 weeks, we expect to be able to show you the final design and the seating configuration. This is something that we’ll be working very closely with the Bombers on because I know that fans are going to have lots of questions in this regard. Be patient for a short while longer and then everything will be out in the open.

We plan to be in the ground as early as May but don’t pin me down to a specific date. We’ll keep everyone informed as we get closer to knowing exactly when the sod will turn. But it’s happening and it’s happening fast.

So, let me conclude by saying this: No more news conferences about agreements being signed. Next time we gather will be on the site of the new stadium where we’ll make your shoes dirty. Watch it happen and enjoy this important addition to our community.

Oh, and by the way, if you’re thinking about buying season tickets, I’d say that now would be a very good time!

Yours Sincerely,
David Asper