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Tim Hortons Field

Coordinates: 43°15′7.612″N 79°49′48.359″W / 43.25211444°N 79.83009972°W / 43.25211444; -79.83009972
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Hamilton Stadium
Hamilton Stadium interior, 2023
Hamilton Stadium is located in Southern Ontario
Hamilton Stadium
Hamilton Stadium
Location in Southern Ontario
Hamilton Stadium is located in Ontario
Hamilton Stadium
Hamilton Stadium
Location in Ontario
Hamilton Stadium is located in Canada
Hamilton Stadium
Hamilton Stadium
Location in Canada
Former namesTim Hortons Field (2014–2024)
Address64 Melrose Avenue North
LocationHamilton, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates43°15′7.612″N 79°49′48.359″W / 43.25211444°N 79.83009972°W / 43.25211444; -79.83009972
OwnerCity of Hamilton
OperatorHamilton Sports Group
Capacity23,218[1]
Record attendance28,808 (110th Grey Cup)
Field sizeSoccer:
110 m (120 yd) x 68 m (74 yd)[2]
SurfaceFieldTurf Revolution
Construction
Broke groundNovember 2012[citation needed]
OpenedSeptember 1, 2014
Construction cost$145.7 million
ArchitectCannon
Tenants
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL) 2014–present
Hamilton Hurricanes (CJFL) 2014–present
Forge FC (CPL) 2019–present
Mohawk College Soccer (OCAA) 2022–present
Hamilton United (L1O) 2023–present (select matches)

Hamilton Stadium (originally Tim Hortons Field), nicknamed "The Donut Box", is a multi-purpose stadium in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Completed in 2014 with a capacity of 22,500, it was built as a replacement on the same site as the Ivor Wynne Stadium, which had been there since 1930. It is primarily used for Canadian football and soccer, and is the home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League and Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League, amongst other teams.

The stadium has also played host to the international soccer tournament at the 2015 Pan American Games as well as various other sports and music concerts.

History

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Background

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Ivor Wynne Stadium was a large outdoor stadium in Hamilton that opened in 1930. Originally known as Civic Stadium, it was the home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Canadian football team since 1950.[3] In 2009, the 2015 Pan American Games were awarded to the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton was selected to host soccer and track and field events. The city deliberated building a brand new stadium (possibly at the city's West Harbour) or renovating Ivor Wynne.[4][5]

Stadium development

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Initial plans for the stadium were for it to be a principal Pan American stadium for soccer and track and field/athletics events.[4] However, disputes between the Tiger-Cats owner, Bob Young, the organizers of the 2015 Pan American Games, and the City of Hamilton arose over the location of the stadium,[6] In early 2011, the Hamilton city councilors voted to demolish and rebuild the south stand of the stadium while leaving the north stand unchanged. This plan had a budget of CA$115 million.[7][5][8]

Then in 2012, the Pan-Am organizers indicated that they would be shifting their focus toward venues and "clusters" that could be used for multiple events, which might eliminate the need for a new stadium that would be used only for soccer. They proposed another stadium on the campus of York University, tentatively named York Athletics Stadium, to host the track and field events. That, coupled with a scheduling process that had soccer and rugby sevens events on different days (thus opening the possibility that Toronto's BMO Field, which would house the rugby sevens contests in 2015 might also be able to host the soccer contests), had the potential to put the Hamilton stadium project in jeopardy.[citation needed] Ultimately, it was decided that Ivor Wynne would be completely demolished and a new stadium would be built on the same site. The new stadium hosted all 32 men's and women's Pan Am soccer matches and was temporarily named Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium during the games.[3]

Financial details

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In July 2013, a ten-year sponsorship deal was put in place with Tim Hortons, who acquired the stadium's naming rights. The coffee beverage fast food chain was founded only a few blocks away from the stadium that originated in Hamilton some fifty years earlier.[9][10] The stadium's nickname is "the donut box",[11] a reference to the links to the coffee chain and the rectangle shape of the stands layout.

The final financial details planned were that the stadium was built at a total cost of $145 million. The city of Hamilton contributed $54 million, the province of Ontario, $22 million, and the federal government of Canada, $69 million. Then, in 2014, the Tiger-Cats agreed to pay $1.2 million a year on a 20-year lease to be a tenant.[12]

Construction

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Stadium in October 2014, prior to the completion of the upper deck

The design was by architects CannonDesign and engineered by the Arup Group, amongst other companies involved in its construction. There are officially 22,500 seats, with the potential of further expanding the stands.[13] Completed in 2014, the stadium can expand to a potential capacity of up to more than 40,000 seats for special events (such as hosting a Grey Cup contest) in the future.[14] The design of the new stadium also increased the width of the field to accommodate soccer games by meeting FIFA's international standards for soccer pitches; reoriented the playing field from east–west to a north–south orientation; increased the seat width and leg room/corridor space to make it one of the most spacious among Canadian sports venues; incorporated extensive wireless communications infrastructure and washroom facilities; as well as adding luxury boxes, and other modern amenities. The field surface is FIFA- and CFL-approved artificial turf.[14] The stadium opened in 2014, two months after its original anticipated completion date of June 30.[15]

Immediately following the stadium opening in 2014, there had been numerous issues regarding the quality of the construction. The City of Hamilton subsequently spent upwards of $2.5 million in fixes and safety repairs[16] including replacing rain-damaged television screens and faulty baby-changing tables, installing draft beer lines, improving ventilation, sealing leaky expansion joints and repairing faulty floor drains.[17]

Opening

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On Septmebr 1, 2014, the Tiger-Cats played their first game at the new stadium – a 13–12 win against the Toronto Argonauts.[18] About 6,000 seats were not available for the game because construction was still ongoing.

The CFL's Toronto Argonauts played two home games at Tim Hortons Field in 2015, due to clashes with the MLB's Toronto Blue Jays playoffs games. The stadium has also occasionally hosted special games for Hamilton's amateur football teams; the Hamilton Hurricanes of the Canadian Junior Football League played a game in the stadium in 2015[19] and the McMaster Marauders football team played its 2016 Labour Day contest at the field in a doubleheader with the Tiger-Cats.[20] The Hurricanes returned to the field twice in 2017, the latter being its own Labour Day contest.[21]

In January 2015, U Sports awarded Tim Hortons Field hosting rights to the 52nd and 53rd Vanier Cup, held in November 2016 and November 2017 respectively.[22]

In 2019, Tim Hortons Field hosted the Canadian Premier League inaugural match in April for Forge FC, the stadium's new tenant,[23][24] and the first ever CPL Finals match in October.[25]

Renaming

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On December 18, 2024, it was announced that the stadium would go through a name-changing process.[26] The venue was temporarily renamed to Hamilton Stadium until a new naming rights deal is awarded.[27]

Ownership

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The stadium and the land is owned by the City of Hamilton. The master licence agreement for Tim Hortons Field is held by Hamilton Sports Group (HSG), a partnership that owns and operates the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL and Forge FC of the CPL. This group is led by businessman Bob Young, who serves as the chairman and is HSG's largest single shareholder, and also includes steel company Stelco, CEO Scott Mitchell, and Jim Lawson. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Forge FC are tenants of Tim Hortons Field and play their home games at the stadium.[28][29]

Stadium uses

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A stand in Tim Hortons field for Forge FC

The professional sporting teams who are leased occupants of the football/soccer stadium are the Canadian football team, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and the soccer team, Forge FC. Tim Hortons field has also played host to the other sporting events including ice hockey, rugby union and dirt biking (Nitro Circus), as well as music concerts.[30][31][32]

The stadium also has premium seating in the stands, with club and suite level spaces available during an event or for private rentals. The lounges are for both corporate and social events.[33][34]

Notable sporting events hosted

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Date Home team Score Away team Event Attendance
July 11–26, 2015 32 matches Pan-Am Games soccer N/A
November 26, 2016 Calgary Dinos 26–31 Laval Rouge et Or 52nd Vanier Cup 7,115
June 24, 2017  Canada 28–28 United States  Rugby World Cup qualification match 13,138
November 25, 2017 Western Mustangs 39–17 Laval Rouge et Or 53rd Vanier Cup 10,754
April 27, 2019 Forge FC 1–1 York9 FC Canadian Premier League inaugural match 17,611
October 26, 2019 Forge FC 1–0 Cavalry FC 2019 Canadian Premier League finals leg 1 10,486
December 5, 2021 Forge FC 0–1 Pacific FC 2021 Canadian Premier League final 7,488
December 12, 2021 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 25–33 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 108th Grey Cup 26,324
January 30, 2022  Canada 2–0 United States  FIFA World Cup qualification match ~12,000 (50% capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions)
March 13, 2022 Buffalo Sabres 5–2 Toronto Maple Leafs 2022 Heritage Classic 26,119
March 14, 2022 Hamilton Bulldogs 3–0 Oshawa Generals 2022 Outdoor Showcase 12,587
June 4, 2022 Forge FC 1–1 (4–5 p) Toronto FC 2020 Canadian Championship final 13,715
October 28, 2023 Forge FC 2–1 (a.e.t.) Cavalry FC 2023 Canadian Premier League final 13,925[35]
November 19, 2023 Montreal Alouettes 28–24 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 110th Grey Cup 28,808

See also

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References

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  1. ^ @TicatsPR (June 29, 2018). "A sell-out crowd will be on hand for the home opener tonight. Fans will notice there is no longer field side seatin…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie [@charliejclarke] (April 19, 2024). "There is now. Tim Hortons Field both the longest and joint-widest in the league, TD Place the narrowest, Starlight and Princess Auto the smallest in total area" (Tweet). Retrieved April 19, 2024 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ a b "Pan/Parapan News". Pan/Parapan American Games. Government of Ontario. June 7, 2013. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Nolan, Daniel (November 9, 2009). "Pan Ams will leave lasting legacy". Hamilton Spectator. Archived from the original on November 9, 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Hamilton votes for a city report on renovating Ivor Wynne". January 13, 2011.
  6. ^ "The troubling account of Ivor Wynne's replacement stadium and legacy of the Pan Am Games". nationalpost.com. July 24, 2014. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
  7. ^ "Ivor Wynne Stadium: History". Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved November 24, 2013.
  8. ^ "Tim Hortons Field". forgefc.canpl.ca. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  9. ^ "New Hamilton stadium to be called Tim Hortons Field". The Hamilton Spectator. TheSpec.com. July 11, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  10. ^ "Tiger-Cats, Tim Hortons". company.timhortons.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  11. ^ "Grant gets the first TD at The Donut Box". Hamilton Spectator. September 2, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  12. ^ "Goodbye Ivor Wynne, hello Tim Hortons Field". The Hamilton Spectator. TheSpec.com. July 12, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  13. ^ "Tim Hortons Field". waltersgroupinc.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium Q&A's" (PDF). hamilton.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 12, 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  15. ^ "Tim Hortons Field finally finished, but Hamilton officials low-key". Chch.com. May 14, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  16. ^ "Tim Hortons Field needs more repairs: Hamilton councillor". 900 CHML. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  17. ^ "City of Hamilton on the hook for another $500k in stadium repairs". 3DownNation. May 10, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  18. ^ "Hamilton Tiger-Cats win 1st ever game at Tim Hortons Field". CBC. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
  19. ^ "The path less travelled: From CJFL to CFL". ticats.ca. Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  20. ^ "Ticats partner with Mac to supersize Labour Day". 3downnation.com. May 3, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  21. ^ "Tiger-Cats to Host Two Hamilton Hurricanes Games at Tim Hortons Field". ticats.ca. Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  22. ^ CIS football: Hamilton to host Vanier Cup in 2016 and 2017 from Canadian Interuniversity Sport, January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  23. ^ Milton, Steve (January 29, 2019). "Hamilton's Forge FC will host league inaugural game at Tim Hortons Field". Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  24. ^ Zamperin, Rick (April 27, 2019). "New Canadian Premier League kicks off in Hamilton". Global News. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  25. ^ Molinaro, John (October 26, 2019). "Highlights: Borges, Carducci shine in red-card laden Leg 1 tilt (EN/FR)". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  26. ^ To, Michael (December 18, 2024). "Tim Hortons Field to have a new name in 2025". CHCH. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  27. ^ "Match Preview: Forge FC vs. CF Monterrey (Leg 1) -- 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup". Canadian Premier League. February 4, 2025. Retrieved February 5, 2025. opting not to train on the pitch at Hamilton Stadium.
  28. ^ "Tiger-Cats, Forge FC announce new Hamilton Sports Group ownership structure". Sportsnet. The Canadian Press. January 2, 2022. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  29. ^ Naylor, Dave (January 2, 2022). "Tiger-Cats to announce new ownership structure". The Sports Network. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  30. ^ "Tim Hortons Field events". hamilton.ca. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  31. ^ Milton, Steve (November 15, 2016). "New Canadian pro soccer league makes major hire". The Record. Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  32. ^ "Rugby World Cup Qualifier at Tim Hortons Stadium". hamiltonrugby.com. March 10, 2019. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  33. ^ "Stadium Rentals". hamilton.ca. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  34. ^ "Premium Seating". ticats.ca. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  35. ^ Wharnsby, Tim (October 28, 2023). "Borges scores 'Olimpico' goal as Forge FC completes comeback to win 4th CPL title". CBC. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
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