Huskies Stadium repairs too much for SMU
University says government funding is needed
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Huskies Stadium (Photo by: Dave Lalonde)
The infrastructure at Huskies Stadium has had its share of misfortune. Uneven steps, sagging bleachers and cracks in the stands highlight the disrepair.
But Huskies fans had better get used to it, because this will not change in the foreseeable future.
The Saint Mary's Huskies football team has called Huskies Stadium home since 1969. It's the largest stadium in Halifax and used to host CFL games and the annual Uteck Bowl.
Steve Proctor is the SMU communications officer of public affairs. He says it will take time and money to repair the stadium.
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Seating at Huskies Stadium that needs serious repair (Photo by: Dave Lalonde)
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"We're certainly looking for partnerships with anybody that would care to join us," says Proctor.
In January 2009, the federal government introduced the Knowledge Infrastructure Program. The purpose of the program was to supply universities across Canada with government funding to improve on an area of the university's choosing.
According to Proctor, Huskies Stadium did not meet these criteria. That is why SMU chose to use the $22.3 million to upgrade the McNally Building and the north campus.
SMU athletic director Steve Sarty told the Chronicle Herald that the repairs required for the entire stadium are more than the university can handle on its own. He said all levels of government should help pay for it.
Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly says it may be better to invest in a new, larger stadium that partners SMU with Dalhousie University and the private sector. "Build one that all could use," Kelley says, "and could be useful for other purposes as well should there be demand or the desire to do so."
Moncton opened a new football stadium earlier this year that seats 10,000 people, compared to 4,000 at Huskies Stadium. The new Moncton stadium now hosts CFL games and the Uteck Bowl that once took place at SMU.
If SMU wants the government's help to repair the stadium, they must submit a formal request. If approved, the project could then go forward.
Until such a proposal is made, Huskies fans will have to deal with a stadium that continues to crumble.
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