BC Place: New Roof Old Memories
By Dominic Sramaty [Sports Bureau Chief]
For the time being the deflation of “The Dome” on BC Place has been postponed to May 4th due to rain and is subject to even more delays if the weather does not comply. But as we all await the second coming of a legendary stadium we are left reminiscing of a time that was.
Most people will tell you that BC Place Stadium was built as a part of the World’s fair at Expo 86. What made the stadium great was that it was largest air supported domed stadium of its time and could seat up 60,000 people. What people might not know is that it was also built to attract a Major League Baseball team to the city of Vancouver through the 80’s and 90’s but that dream never became a reality.
The first major event held under the dome was not a sporting event and it had nothing to do with the Expo. The first major event was held by the Pope himself (John Paul II) on his papal visit to the city. It drew 65,000 spectators and still ranks as one highest attendance numbers in the history of The Dome. This event was closely followed by one of the city’s biggest accomplishments, Expo 86. The Stadium was the location of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Expo. The Dome would not see another event of that magnitude until 2010 when the city hosted the 21st Winter Olympic Games.
The first sporting event was played by the Vancouver White Caps Football Club against the Seattle Sounders of the old North American Soccer League in 1983 and also hosted the last ever Soccer Bowl Final (the NASL’s Championship). Its main tenant however, is the BC Lions. The Dome hosted Grey Cup Finals in 1983, ‘86, ‘87, ‘90, ‘94, ‘99, and 2005. The most notable of which was the 1994 final when the Lions defeated the American expansion team Baltimore Stallions on a last second field goal by Lui Passaglia to keep the Grey Cup in Canada. The Dome also hosted a bevy of exhibition events like the NFL exhibition game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks in 1998 and the Aussie Rules Rugby match in 1987.
