Tim Hortons Field
The Donut Box [1]
Tim Hortons Field interior, 2023
Tim Hortons Field is located in Southern Ontario
Tim Hortons Field
Tim Hortons Field
Location in Ontario
Tim Hortons Field is located in Canada
Tim Hortons Field
Tim Hortons Field
Location in Canada
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[2]
Capacity23,218[3]
Record attendance28,808 (110th Grey Cup)
SurfaceFieldTurf Revolution
Construction
Broke groundNovember 2012[4][5]
OpenedSeptember 1, 2014
Construction cost$145.7 million[6]
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)
Website
http://timhortonsfield.ca

Tim Hortons Field, nicknamed "The Donut Box",[7] is a multi-purpose stadium in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.[8] Built as a replacement for Ivor Wynne Stadium, Tim Hortons Field 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.[9] During the 2015 Pan American Games, it was referred to as CIBC Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium.[10] The stadium opened in September 2014, two months after its original anticipated completion date of June 30, 2014.[11][12]

History

Stadium development

Initial plans for the stadium were for it to be a principal Pan American stadium for soccer and track and field/athletics events. 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,[13] among other things, including whether or not a running track should be built around the proposed stadium in Hamilton.

In 2012, the 2015 Pan-Am organizers indicated that, due to financial constraints, 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, and 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. Nonetheless, the Hamilton stadium project went forward as planned.

In July 2013, it was announced that Tim Hortons, the international restaurant chain that originated in Hamilton some fifty years earlier, had acquired naming rights to the stadium.[14]

Construction and opening

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

The new stadium was constructed in 2013 and into early-mid 2014 on the site of the former Ivor Wynne Stadium, which was demolished in the process, and it opened for Canadian Football League (CFL) football in late 2014. The stadium currently seats approximately 24,000 spectators for Canadian football, with expansion potential to boost capacity to more than 40,000 seats for special events (such as hosting a Grey Cup contest) in the future.[15] The design of the new stadium also increased the width of the field to accommodate soccer games by meeting FIFA's international standards for association football 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 stadium field surface is FIFA- and CFL-approved artificial turf.[15]

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[16] and the McMaster Marauders football team played its 2016 Labour Day contest at the field in a doubleheader with the Tiger-Cats.[17] The Hurricanes returned to the field twice in 2017, the latter being its own Labour Day contest.[18]

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.[19]

Forge FC, a new soccer team owned by the Tiger-Cats, have played at the stadium in the Canadian Premier League since 2019.[20] During the 2019 season, Tim Hortons Field hosted the first ever CPL match in April,[21] and the first ever CPL Finals match in October.[22]

Notable sporting events hosted

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 Canada28–28United States Rugby World Cup qualification match13,138
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 Inaugural Canadian Premier League 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[23]
November 19, 2023 Montreal Alouettes 28–24 Winnipeg Blue Bombers 110th Grey Cup 28,808

Construction issues

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[24] 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.[25]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Grant gets the first TD at The Donut Box". Hamilton Spectator. September 2, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  2. ↑ Naylor, Dave (January 2, 2022). "Tiger-Cats to announce new ownership structure". The Sports Network. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  3. ↑ @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.
  4. ↑ "Construction begins on $45M stadium for Toronto Pan Am Games". National Post. November 20, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  5. ↑ "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.
  6. ↑ "Goodbye Ivor Wynne, hello Tim Hortons Field". The Hamilton Spectator. TheSpec.com. July 12, 2013. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Grant gets the first TD at The Donut Box". Hamilton Spectator. September 2, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  8. ↑ Nolan, Daniel (November 9, 2009). "Pan Ams will leave lasting legacy". Hamilton Spectator. Archived from the original on November 9, 2009.
  9. ↑ Milton, Steve (January 29, 2019). "Hamilton's Forge FC will host league inaugural game at Tim Hortons Field". Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  10. ↑ "CIBC Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium". Toronto2015.org. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Tim Hortons Field finally finished, but Hamilton officials low-key". Chch.com. May 14, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  12. ↑ Bascaramurty, Dakshana (July 3, 2015). "The high cost of Pan Am: What legacy will Hamilton's new stadium leave behind?". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Ticats have no interest in playing at West Harbour". The Sports Network. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  14. ↑ "New Hamilton stadium to be called Tim Hortons Field". The Hamilton Spectator. TheSpec.com. July 11, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  15. 1 2 "Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium Q&A's" (PDF). hamilton.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 12, 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  16. ↑ "The path less travelled: From CJFL to CFL". ticats.ca. Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Ticats partner with Mac to supersize Labour Day". 3downnation.com. May 3, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Tiger-Cats to Host Two Hamilton Hurricanes Games at Tim Hortons Field". ticats.ca. Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  19. ↑ CIS football: Hamilton to host Vanier Cup in 2016 and 2017 from Canadian Interuniversity Sport, January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  20. ↑ 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.
  21. ↑ Zamperin, Rick (April 27, 2019). "New Canadian Premier League kicks off in Hamilton". Global News. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  22. ↑ 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.
  23. ↑ Wharnsby, Tim (October 28, 2023). "Borges scores 'Olimpico' goal as Forge FC completes comeback to win 4th CPL title". CBC. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Tim Hortons Field needs more repairs: Hamilton councillor". 900 CHML. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  25. ↑ "City of Hamilton on the hook for another $500k in stadium repairs". 3DownNation. May 10, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
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