Canadian National Exhibition Stadium

Canadian National Exhibition Stadium

Exhibition Stadium CNE Stadium
Exhibition Stadium in 1988
Location	Lake Shore Blvd. W. & Ontario Dr. Toronto, Ontario M6K 3C3
Coordinates	43°37′55″N 79°25′4″W / 43.63194°N 79.41778°W / 43.63194; -79.41778Coordinates: 43°37′55″N 79°25′4″W / 43.63194°N 79.41778°W / 43.63194; -79.41778
Owner	City of Toronto
Operator	City of Toronto
Capacity	20,679 (1948) 33,150 (1959–1974 football) 41,890 (1975 football) 54,741 (1976–1988 football) 38,522 (1977 baseball) 43,737 (1978–1989 baseball)
Field size	Left Field – 330 ft (101 m) Left-Centre – 375 ft (114 m) Centre Field – 400 ft (122 m) Right-Centre – 375 ft (114 m) Right Field – 330 ft (101 m) Backstop – 60 ft (18 m)
Surface	Grass (1959–1971) AstroTurf (1972–1989)
Construction
Built	1948 (grandstand) 1959 (football bleachers) 1976 (football and baseball seats)
Opened	August 5, 1959
Closed	May 28, 1989
Demolished	January 31, 1999
Construction cost	$3 million (1948 north grandstand) $650,000 (1959 south bleachers) $17.5 million (1976 renovations)
Architect	G.W. Gouinlock (1907; previous structure) Marani and Morris (1948) Bill Sanford (1976)
Tenants
Toronto Argonauts (CFL) (1959–1988) Toronto Blue Jays (MLB) (1977–1989) Toronto Blizzard (NASL) (1979–1983)

Canadian National Exhibition Stadium (commonly known as Exhibition Stadium and CNE Stadium) was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally built for Canadian National Exhibition events, the stadium served as the home of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, from 1959–1988, the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball from 1977–1989, and the Toronto Blizzard of the North American Soccer League from 1979–1983. The stadium hosted the Grey Cup game 12 times over a 24-year period.

In 1999, the stadium was demolished and the site was used for parking until 2006. BMO Field was built on the site in 2007 roughly where the northern end of the covered grandstand once stood.

The grandstand (known as CNE Grandstand) was used extensively throughout the summer months for hosting concerts.

Exhibition Stadium was the fourth stadium to be built on its site since 1879. When the original grandstand was lost due to a fire in 1906, it was quickly rebuilt. A second fire destroyed the stadium in 1947, which led to the city constructing a covered north-side grandstand (known as CNE Grandstand) for $3 million in 1948.