Canadians are a sport-loving nation and flocking to the stadiums to declare your loyal support to your team is a common activity. Therefore, Canada is home to several very large stadiums to be able to house this massive support.
The Commonwealth Stadium
This multi-purpose open-air stadium is situated in McCauley, Alberta. The stadium is home to both the Canadian Football League as well as the Edmonton Eskimos. When an Eskimos game is being played, the stadium is however referred to as the Brick Field. With a massive seating capacity of 56 302 people, this is the largest stadium in Canada. Building on this stadium started in 1975 and it was opened just before the Commonwealth Games in 1978.
The Olympic Stadium
Opened for the 1976 Summer Olympics and situated in Montreal. The shape of the stadium resembles a doughnut and therefore the name of the “Big O” but then again it is also called the “Big Owe” due to the tremendous amount of money spent on construction of this stadium.
This stadium house both the football and baseball teams of Montreal. The permanent seating capacity is slightly less than the Commonwealth Stadium with 56 040 permanent seats but can be expanded with temporary seating which then makes it the largest stadium in Canada. The stadium does, however, have a long and difficult history riddled with construction problems.
BC Place
A multipurpose stadium based in Vancouver; this is one of the largest with a seating capacity of 54 320. Both the BC Lions and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC are housed here. It opened in 1983. After being the main venue during the Winter Olympics 2010 it was closed again for a major renovation project and after reopening it is considered now to be the stadium with the largest roof of its kind. This stadium is annually the playground of the Canada Sevens representing a section of the World’s Rugby Seven’s Series.
Rogers Centre
On the shores of Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto, this stadium previously known as the SkyDome is home to the Toronto Blue Jay. This venue with a motorized retractable roof was the first of its kind and played host to the Pan American Games in 2015 for the opening and closing ceremonies. Thus, lending the name the Pan Am Dome to it for a while. This stadium has been the centre stage of not only various sporting activities but also to the Steel Wheels Tour and the Rolling Stones. It can seat 53 506 people.
MacMahon Stadium
Much smaller than the predecessors on this list is this stadium situated in Calgary. Opened up in 1960 with a permanent seating capacity of 35 560. The stadium is named after two brothers of Calgary, Frank and George McMahon, who donated C$300 000 to the citizens of Calgary, with main focus on the university. These stadiums are all representing so much more than just a concrete and metal construction, it is a reflection of loyal, cultural heritage and the love that binds the nation together.