Osborne Stadium was a multi-sport outdoor stadium in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

, Manitoba, Canada. It operated from 1932 until 1956, and hosted

Canadian football Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...

home games for the

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fiel ...

and baseball games in the

Mandak League The Manitoba-Dakota League was an independent baseball league based in Manitoba and North Dakota that was founded in 1950. It became the home for many African-American and Latino players. The league lasted through the 1957 season. It was known i ...

. The stadium was also home to local

high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...

, soccer, baseball and softball games.

History

Opening night for Osborne Stadium was on May 19, 1932, with an admission price of 25 Canadian cents to see both a girls' softball game and a men's soccer game. The opening ceremony included music by the

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricia's) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...

marching band from

CFB Shilo Canadian Forces Base Shilo (CFB Shilo; french: Base des Forces canadiennes Shilo — BFC Shilo) is an operations and training base of the Canadian Armed Forces, located east of Brandon, Manitoba and adjacent to Sprucewoods. During the 1990s, C ...

; and local dignitaries, Ralph Webb the Mayor of Winnipeg,

John Bracken John Bracken (June 22, 1883 – March 18, 1969) was a Canadian agronomist and politician who was the 11th and longest-serving premier of Manitoba (1922–1943) and later the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942–19 ...

the Premier of Manitoba, and members of the

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (french: Assemblée législative du Manitoba) is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at provincial gener ...

.; The stadium was located on the west side of Osborne Street North opposite of the

Manitoba Legislative Building The Manitoba Legislative Building (french: Palais législatif du Manitoba), originally named the Manitoba Parliament Building, is the meeting place of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, located in central Winnipeg, as well as being the twelfth pr ...

, and hosted games for

, soccer, baseball, and softball. It was constructed with a

floodlight A floodlight is a broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial light. They are often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions. More focused kinds are often used as a stage ...

system for nighttime games, had a permanent seating capacity of 4,000 which included 2,600 seats on the east side and 1,400 seats on the west side, and temporarily added 2,500 seats for special events. Construction of the stadium required the removal of houses in the residential West Broadway neighbourhood, and the stadium was later enlarged to include 7,800 permanent seats as of 1935. The stadium was home the

from 1935 until 1952. Local sports executive Jimmy Dunn presided over both the Greater Winnipeg Senior Girls' Softball League and the Greater Winnipeg Senior Baseball League played at the stadium, and was a regular behind the microphone entertaining spectators during baseball games. The Manitoba Senior Baseball League began play at the stadium in 1948, then became the international

in 1950. The 1950 Red River flood inundated the stadium which postponed the beginning of that year's baseball season. The Blue Bombers relocated to

Winnipeg Stadium Canad Inns Stadium (also known as Winnipeg Stadium) was a multipurpose stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The stadium was located at the corner of St. James Street and Maroons Road, immediately north of the Polo Park Shopping Centre and th ...

for the 1953 football season. Osborne Stadium was demolished in 1956, and the site was later occupied by the

Great-West Life The Canada Life Assurance Company, commonly known as Canada Life, is an insurance and financial services company with its headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The current company is the result of the 2020 amalgamation of The Great-West Life Assura ...

building.

References

{{Winnipeg Blue Bombers Canadian Football League venues Defunct Canadian football venues Sports venues in Winnipeg Canadian football venues in Manitoba Winnipeg Blue Bombers Canadian football in Winnipeg 1932 establishments in Manitoba Sports venues completed in 1932 1956 disestablishments in Manitoba Sports venues demolished in 1952 Defunct baseball venues in Canada