Exhibition Stadium
Canadian National Exhibition Stadium (commonly known as Exhibition Stadium or CNE Stadium and nicknamed The Ex) was a multi-purpose stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the grounds of Exhibition Place. Originally built for Canadian National Exhibition events, the stadium served as the home of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1959 to 1988, the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1977 to 1989, and the Toronto Blizzard of the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1979 to 1983. The stadium hosted the Grey Cup game 12 times over a 24-year period.
Exhibition Stadium CNE Stadium The Ex | |
Exhibition Stadium in 1988 | |
| Location | Lake Shore Boulevard West & Ontario Drive Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°37′55″N 79°25′4″W |
| Public transit | Exhibition 511 Bathurst 29 TTC buses |
| 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 | 1996 |
| Demolished | January 31, 1999 |
| Construction cost | $3 million (1948 north grandstand) $650,000 (1959 south bleachers) $17.5 million (1976 renovations) |
| Architect | Marani and Morris (1948) Bill Sanford (1976) |
| Tenants | |
| Toronto Argonauts (CFL) (1959–1988) Serbian White Eagles (NSL) (1973–1974) Toronto Blue Jays (MLB) (1977–1989) Toronto Blizzard (NASL) (1979–1983) | |
The grandstand (known as CNE Grandstand) was used extensively throughout the summer months for hosting concerts.
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.