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Rogers Centre
SkyDome
Location	1 Blue Jays Way Toronto, Ontario M5V 1J3
Broke ground	October 3, 1986
Opened	June 3, 1989
Owner	Rogers Communications
Operator	Rogers Stadium Limited Partnership
Surface	AstroTurf (1989-2004) FieldTurf (2005-present)
Construction cost	$570 million
Architect	Rod Robbie
Former names	SkyDome (1989-2005)
Tenants	Toronto Blue Jays (MLB) (1989-present) Toronto Argonauts (CFL) (1989-present) Toronto Raptors (NBA) (1995-1999) Vanier Cup (CIS) (1989-2003, 2007-present) International Bowl (NCAA) (2007-present) Buffalo Bills (NFL) (1 game/yr, 2008-present)
Capacity	31,074 (2008 Argonauts Football) 49,539 (2008 Baseball) 52,230 (2007 Football (Grey Cup))[1] 28,708 (Basketball)[2] 10,000-55,000 (Concert)
Field dimensions	Left Field Line - 328 ft (100 m) Left-Centre Power Alley - 375 ft (114 m) Centre Field - 400 ft (122 m) Right-Centre Power Alley - 375 ft (114 m) Right Field Line - 328 ft (100 m) Backstop - 60 ft (18 m)

Rogers Centre, formerly known as SkyDome, is a multi-purpose stadium in Toronto, Ontario, situated next to the CN Tower near the shores of Lake Ontario. It is home to the American League's Toronto Blue Jays, the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, the site of the annual International Bowl American college football bowl game, and as of 2008, the National Football League's Buffalo Bills' second playing venue. While it is primarily a sports venue, it also hosts other large-scale events such as conventions, trade fairs, and concerts. The stadium was renamed "Rogers Centre" following the purchase of the stadium by Rogers Communications in 2005.^[3] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2288x1353, 1226 KB) Picture of the Rogers Centre (formerly known as SkyDome), shot from the south from the Gardiner Expressway, September 1st 2005. ... This article is about the Canadian province. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... -1... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Rogers Communications Inc. ... This article is about artificial grass. ... The wide plain of FieldTurf used at Torontos Rogers Centre was installed after the 2004 baseball season. ... C$ redirects here. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Other nicknames The Jays Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) Formerly named SkyDome (1989-2005) Exhibition Stadium (1977-1989) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1992 â€¢ 1993 AL... Major Leagues redirects here. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... The Toronto Argonauts are a Canadian Football League team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... Lions Stampeders Eskimos Roughriders Blue Bombers Tiger-Cats Argonauts Alouettes The Canadian Football League (CFL) (Ligue canadienne de football (LCF) in French), is a professional sports league located in Canada that plays Canadian football. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... NBA redirects here. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... The Vanier Cup. ... CIS Logo. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The International Bowl is a NCAA college American football bowl game played in Toronto, Ontario. ... NCAA redirects here. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... For other uses, see Buffalo Bills (disambiguation). ... NFL redirects here. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... The Toronto Argonauts are a Canadian Football League team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... Lions Stampeders Eskimos Roughriders Blue Bombers Tiger-Cats Argonauts Alouettes The Canadian Football League (CFL) (Ligue canadienne de football (LCF) in French), is a professional sports league located in Canada that plays Canadian football. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the sport. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Diagram of a Canadian football field. ... The Grey Cup circa 2006. ... This article is about the sport. ... For other uses, see Concert (disambiguation). ... This article is about the building type. ... This article is about the Canadian province. ... This article is about the CN Tower in Toronto. ... Lake Ontario, bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south by Ontarios Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, USA, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ... The American League (or formally the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States of America and Canada. ... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Other nicknames The Jays Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) Formerly named SkyDome (1989-2005) Exhibition Stadium (1977-1989) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1992 â€¢ 1993 AL... Lions Stampeders Eskimos Roughriders Blue Bombers Tiger-Cats Argonauts Alouettes The Canadian Football League (CFL) (Ligue canadienne de football (LCF) in French), is a professional sports league located in Canada that plays Canadian football. ... The Toronto Argonauts are a Canadian Football League team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... The International Bowl is a NCAA college American football bowl game played in Toronto, Ontario. ... This article covers college football played in the United States. ... A bowl game is a post-season college football game, typically at the Division I-A level. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... NFL redirects here. ... For other uses, see Buffalo Bills (disambiguation). ... Metro Toronto Convention Centre, late 2004. ... The 2006 LinuxWorld trade show at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center. ... A concert comprises a performance, usually involving some degree of formality, and particularly a performance featuring music. ... Rogers Communications Inc. ...

The venue was noted for being the first stadium to have a fully-retractable motorized roof, as well as for the 348-room hotel attached to it, with 70 rooms overlooking the field. It is also the most recent North American major-league stadium built to accommodate both football as well as baseball, although some of the newer baseball parks have been known to host the occasional college football game (AT&T Park, Chase Field, and Safeco Field, to name a few).^[4][5][6] A retractable roof is a technology used in many sports venues. ... This article is about lodging. ... North American redirects here. ... Diagram of a Canadian football field. ... This article is about the sport. ... This article covers college football played in the United States. ... AT&T Park (also called China Basin) is an open-air baseball park, home to the San Francisco Giants of the Major League Baseball. ... Chase Field is a baseball stadium located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, and is the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks of the National League. ... Safeco Field, sometimes simply referred to as Safeco, is the home of the Seattle Mariners baseball club. ...

History

Rogers Centre was designed by Rod Robbie & Michael Allen and was constructed by the EllisDon Construction of London, Ontario. The stadium's construction lasted about two and a half years, from October 1986 to May 1989. The approximate cost of construction was $600 million (CAD) which was paid for by the federal government, Ontario provincial government, the City of Toronto, and a large consortium of corporations.^{[citation needed]} Roderick George Robbie (born 1928) is a Canadian architect. ... For other places with the same name, see London (disambiguation). ... C$ redirects here. ... The Government of Canada is the federal government of Canada. ... This article is about the Canadian province. ... A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organisations or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal. ...

The CN Tower viewed from the Rogers Centre

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 402 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (3,246 × 4,842 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 402 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (3,246 × 4,842 pixels, file size: 1. ... This article is about the CN Tower in Toronto. ...

Background

A cold, rain-soaked Grey Cup game in November 1982, held at the outdoor Exhibition Stadium, spurred the process of looking for a new stadium. The game was tormented by cold weather and rains, the washrooms overflowed, and spectators were exposed to the harsh weather. In attendance was Ontario Premier Bill Davis, and the misery of that day was seen by over 7,862,000 television viewers in Canada (at the time the largest TV audience ever in Canada ^[7]). The following day, at a rally at Toronto City Hall, tens of thousands of people who were there to see the Grey Cup winners began to chant, "We want a dome! We want a dome!" So too did others who began to discuss the possibility of an all-purpose, all-weather stadium. (As a point of interest, the 1983 Grey Cup Game was played at the newly opened BC Place domed stadium in Vancouver).^{[citation needed]} The 70th Grey Cup, also known as the Rain Bowl, was the 1982 Grey Cup Canadian Football League championship game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Edmonton Eskimos. ... Original architectural model of the 4th Exhibition Stadium, from 1948 Exhibition Stadium was a stadium that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds in Toronto, Ontario. ... For the artist, animator, creative director, see Bill Davis (artist) (animator) (computer games). ... Toronto City Hall The upper left hand corner of this picture is where Toronto City Hall would be built. ... BC Place Stadium is Canadas first domed stadium. ... This article refers to the city in British Columbia, Canada. ...

Seven months later, in June 1983, Premier Davis formally announced that a three-person committee would look into the feasibility of building a domed stadium at Exhibition Place. The three-person committee was composed of Hugh Macaulay, former Hydro chairman, William Bremner, Vickers and Benson Co. Ltd. chairman, and Lionel Schipper, Schipper Enterprises president.^{[citation needed]} Looking East from the CNE Ferris Wheel (National Trade Centre at left, Automotive Building at right). ...

Over the next few years various tangible projects emerged, including a large indoor stadium at Exhibition Place with an air-supported dome, similar to BC Place. In 1985 an international design competition was launched to design a new stadium, along with selection of a site for the stadium. Some of the sites included Exhibition Place, Downsview Airport, and York University. The final site was located at the base of the CN Tower not far from Union Station, a major railway and transit hub. The land was a major Canadian National Railway rail switching yard (the desolate downtown lands were part of a master plan for revitalizing the area which includes CityPlace). The price would be $150 million. Ultimately the Robbie/Allen concept won because it provided the largest roof opening of all the finalists, and it was the most technically sound. Others stadium designs included one that was like a bow tie, which cast a shadow over the field.^{[citation needed]} This article is about the Canadian university. ... This article is about the CN Tower in Toronto. ... Union Station is a major railway, subway, and streetcar hub at 65 Front Street West between Bay Street and York Street in downtown Toronto. ... The Canadian National Railway (CN; AAR reporting marks CN, CNA, CNIS) is a Canadian Class I railway operated by the Canadian National Railway Company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. ...

The choice of both the stadium design and its location were chosen specifically to avoid any chance of repeating the problems suffered in Montreal with their Olympic Stadium (nicknamed the "Big O"). That stadium suffered from a poorly designed retractable roof (which never really worked).^{[citation needed]} Le Stade Olympique (The Olympic Stadium) is a stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ...

The stadium would have been Canada's first working retractable-roof stadium if they did not get Olympic Stadium's roof to finally work in 1988. With the latter's roof finally failing for good and being replaced by a permanent roof in 1992, the venue now stands as Canada's only retractable-roof stadium.^{[citation needed]}

Stadium construction

A suspension bridge was built over the railway land surrounding the stadium.

Construction was done by lead contractor EllisDon. Several factors complicated the construction: The lands housed a functioning water pumping station that needed to be relocated, the soil was contaminated from a century of industrial use, railway buildings needed to be torn down or moved, and the site was rich with archaeological finds. One of the most complex issues was moving the John St. pumping station across the street to its new home south of the stadium. Foundations to the stadium were being poured even as the facility (located in the infield area) continued to function, as construction on its new location had yet to be completed. Also a locomotive watering tower was moved across the street as to be saved and to be incorporated into a new railway museum.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1920 pixel, file size: 480 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)self made I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1920 pixel, file size: 480 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)self made I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU...

Because the stadium was the first of its kind in the world, the architects and engineers kept the design simple (by using a sturdy dome shape) and used proven technologies to move the roof. It was important that the design would work and be reliable as to avoid the various problems that plagued Montreal's Olympic Stadium. The 31-story roof consists of four panels; one is fixed in place and the other three are moved by electrically driven 'train' engines, that run on standard railway rails. The roof, which takes 20 minutes to open, was made out of steel trusses covered by corrugated steel cladding which in turn is covered by a single ply PVC membrane. Stadium construction and management was overseen by Chuck Magwood who was president of the Government established management company: Stadco.^{[citation needed]} Le Stade Olympique (The Olympic Stadium) is a stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ...

Stadium financing

Overhead view of Rogers Centre with the roof closed, as seen from the CN Tower

The stadium was funded by a public/private partnership, with the government paying the largest percentage of the tab. The initial cost was greatly underestimated, with the final tab coming in at $570 million (all dollar figures used are in Canadian funds and have not been adjusted for inflation) . All three levels of government (Metro Toronto, Provincial, Federal) initially contributed $30 million. This doesn't include the actual value of the land the stadium sits on (as it was part of a deal with the Crown agency – CN Rail). Canada's three main breweries (Labatt's, Molsons, and Carling O'Keefe) each paid $5 million to help fund the stadium. In addition 28 Canadian corporations (selected by invitation only – no tendering of contract) contributed $5 million, for which they received one of the 161 Skyboxes with four parking spaces (for ten years, with an opportunity for renewal) and a 99 year exclusive option on in stadium advertising. Skyboxes initially leased for $150,000 up to $225,000 a year in 1989 – plus the cost of tickets for all events. The Toronto Blue Jays, who enjoyed the greatest financial benefit from the construction of the new stadium, contributed $5 million invested in the stadium.^{[citation needed]} Overhead view (west at top) of the Toronto SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) from CN Tower. ... Overhead view (west at top) of the Toronto SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) from CN Tower. ... Metro Council redirects here. ... Labatt Brewing Company Ltd. ... Molson Inc. ... Carling OKeefe originated as Canadian Breweries Limited which was the first brewing conglomerate in Canada. ... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Other nicknames The Jays Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) Formerly named SkyDome (1989-2005) Exhibition Stadium (1977-1989) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1992 â€¢ 1993 AL...

But the financing wasn't without controversy. First of all there was no public tender for supplies and equipment. Secondly, companies that paid the $5 million fee received 100% stadium exclusivity for the life of their contract that could be extended up to 99 years. Some of the companies that signed on included Coca-Cola, TSN and CIBC. This exclusivity even extended to advertising. This was most notable when Pepsi-Cola was banned from raising promotional banners during a concert. Many companies signed on without the contracts being bid on. Pepsi stated at the time that had they known the terms of the contract that they would have paid far more than $5 million for the rights. Local media like NOW (magazine) called the amount charged "scandalously low" (Now Dec 3-9, 1998). The media also complained about the McDonald's contract which the company paid a low yearly fee, yet charged high prices for its concession fare.^{[citation needed]} The wave shape (known as the dynamic ribbon device) present on all Coca-Cola cans throughout the world derives from the contour of the original Coca-Cola bottles. ... The Sports Network (commonly known as TSN) is a Canadian English language cable television specialty channel and is Canadas leading English language sports television channel. ... CIBC (NYSE: BCM) is one of Canadas major banks. ... The current Pepsi logo Pepsi-Cola (often shortened to Pepsi), is a carbonated cola soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo, and the principal rival of Coca-Cola. ... For the British publication, see NOW magazine (UK). ... McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest chain of fast-food restaurants, primarily selling hamburgers, chicken, french fries, milkshakes and soft drinks. ...

In a CBC Television interview in the days before the stadium, a member of the general public goes on to ponder "It will be interesting to see five years from now whose stadium it will be, Toronto's dome or a business centre like TD Centre". The stadium was completed two months late, having been planned to open for the first regular season Toronto Blue Jays game. Because of its location south of major railway corridor, new pedestrian connections had to be built; the infrastructure was part of the reason for the high cost of the stadium. Skywalk is a (1/2 km – est.) enclosed walkway that leads from the base of the CN Tower and via a bridge connects to Union Station (and is part of the PATH network). The John St. bridge was built to provide North/South passage over the rail tracks linking Front Street with the stadium.^{[citation needed]} CBC Television is a Canadian English language television network. ... PATH is a 27-kilometre network of pedestrian tunnels beneath the office towers of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...

SkyDome opening

"The Audience" - A sculpture by Michael Snow adorning the facade on the northwest corner of Rogers Centre.

The stadium officially opened on June 3, 1989 and hosted an official grand opening show: "The Opening of SkyDome: A Celebration". It was broadcast on CBC television the following evening hosted by Brian Williams. With a crowd of over 50,000 in attendance, it was the first test of the new facility.^{[citation needed]} The event was a showcase of Canadian talent, and included performances from a wide variety of acts. The celebrities consisted of Oscar Peterson, Andrea Martin of SCTV, impersonator André-Philippe Gagnon and rock band Glass Tiger. The roof was opened by the Premier of the Province, David Peterson, who pointed a laser pen at the ceiling to officially 'open' it. The roof opened, exposing the crowd to a downpour of rain. This while a crowd of famous Canadians sang a song on stage that was written specifically for the opening, with the lyrics: "Open up, Open up the Dome". Yet as the crowd got increasingly wet, they could be heard chanting "Close the roof". But Stadco president Chuck Magwood insisted that the roof fully open. And once open, a group of civilian skydivers flew into the now soaked stadium often skidding across the concrete floor to the cheers of the audience. By the time the roof had opened, most of the crowd had sought refuge in the concourse areas and beneath the overhangs of the various parts of the structure.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1944x2592, 851 KB) Summary A sculpture adorning the facade of the northwest portion of Rogers Centre. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1944x2592, 851 KB) Summary A sculpture adorning the facade of the northwest portion of Rogers Centre. ... Interior of the Eaton Centre showing one of Michael Snow and Joyce Wielands best known sculptures, called Flightstop, which depict Canada Geese in flight. ... -1... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... For the American journalist, see Brian Williams (news anchor). ... For the United States Navy sailor and Medal of Honor recipient, see Oscar V. Peterson. ... Andrea Martin (born January 15, 1947) is a Tony Award-winning American actor and comedienne. ... SCTV can refer to a number of things, including the following: SCTV (Indonesia) from Surya Citra Television, headquartered in Indonesia. ... André-Philippe Gagnon (born 1962) is a Canadian comedian and impressionist from Quebec. ... Glass Tiger is a Canadian rock band formed in 1980, in Newmarket, Ontario. ... The Honourable David Robert Peterson, PC , LL.B , BA (born December 28, 1943 in Toronto, Ontario) was the twentieth Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. ...

The event was broken down into the following acts:

The Opening of SkyDome – A Celebration

• Act I – "Prelude to Forever" – "Oscar Peterson will perform this original composition with the Toronto Symphony."
• Act II – A Tribute to the Builders of SkyDome – "An Olympic-style entrance of those who represent the thousands of people responsible for the building of SkyDome."
• Act III – The Way We Were – "Featuring Theresa Pitt, the lead in Toronto’s company of Cats (the musical)."
• Act IV – "We are Toronto" – "From a small settlement and a few hundred settlers, Toronto has become a true window to the world. The people of Toronto representing sixty-eight nations will celebrate the Opening of Sky Dome in their native costumes."
• Act V – "Open up the Dome" – "Liberty Silver and Tommy Ambrose will perform this very special celebration number and will be joined by our 3,500 volunteer performers."
• Act VI – "Open up the Dome" Finale – "Our host Alan Thicke will re-introduce the performers and will join in a final celebration of the Opening of SkyDome."^{[citation needed]}

For the United States Navy sailor and Medal of Honor recipient, see Oscar V. Peterson. ... Cats is an award-winning musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possums Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. ... Tommy Ambrose (born Thomas Ambrose 19 October 1939 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. ... Alan Thicke (born Alan Willis Jeffrey on March 1, 1947 in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian actor, songwriter, game show host and talk-show emcee. ...

Financial problems and fallout

The SkyDome logo (1989-2005).

The stadium would later become the thorn in the side of David Peterson's Ontario Liberal government for its overspending in the venture. The Ontario Liberal Party was defeated by the Ontario New Democratic Party in the 1990 Ontario election. A review by the new Bob Rae government in October 1990 revealed that the stadium was so in debt that it would have to be booked 600 days a year to turn a profit. The stadium had only made $17 million in its first year of operations, while servicing the debt was costing $40 million. It was determined that the abrupt late inclusion by Stadco of a luxurious hotel and health club added an additional $112 million to the cost of the building. The further rush to finish the stadium also tacked on further unplanned costs.^{[citation needed]} The Honourable David Robert Peterson, PC , LL.B , BA (born December 28, 1943 in Toronto, Ontario) was the twentieth Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. ... The Ontario Liberal Party is a centrist provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. ... The Ontario New Democratic Party (formerly known as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, Ontario Section) is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. ... As a result of serious scandals, David Petersons Liberal government was defeated by a large protest vote. ... Hon. ...

As the Province slipped into a recession, Bob Rae appointed University of Toronto professor Bruce Kidd and Bob White (then president of the Canadian Auto Workers) to the Stadco board as to help deal with the stadium's growing debt. But by this time it was too late to reverse the costs. The completed stadium started life with a $165 million debt, which ballooned up to $400 million by 1993. The stadium became a huge liability to the Provincial Government, and as the economy soured, so did public support for the so-called "white elephant". In March 1994, Bob Rae's Ontario NDP government paid off all outstanding debts from the Provincial treasury, and sold the stadium for the massively discounted price of $151 million to a private consortium (including Labatt's parent company – Interbrew).^{[citation needed]} The University of Toronto (U of T) is a public research university in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Bruce Kidd (born July 26, 1943) is a Canadian academic, author, and athlete. ... Binomial name Colinus virginianus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Bobwhite Quail or Northern Bobwhite, Colinus virginianus, is a ground_dwelling bird native to North America. ... The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW; formally the National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada) is one of Canadas largest and highest profile trade unions. ... For other uses, see White elephant (disambiguation). ... Interbrew was a large Belgium-based brewing company which owned many internationally known beers, as well as some smaller local beers. ...

In November 1998, the stadium filed for bankruptcy protection. One of the main reasons was that most of the Skybox contracts were up for renewal. Most of the 161 Skybox tenants had signed on for 10 year leases; this oversight in business planning, and a marked decrease in interest in the stadium's two sports teams, resulted in a massive decrease in the amount companies were willing to pay for the Skybox. In addition, the Air Canada Centre was under construction just down the road, and selling highly desired boxes for the civic favourite Toronto Maple Leafs and new upstart Toronto Raptors. Many companies could not justify owning box suites at both stadiums. That same month, the Blue Jays re-signed on for an additional ten years in the facility.^{[citation needed]} North Entrance Atrium. ... For other uses, see Toronto Maple Leafs (disambiguation). ... The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. ...

In late 1998, Sportsco International LP bought the stadium out of bankruptcy protection for $85 million. In 2004, Rogers Communications, parent company of the Blue Jays, would agree to acquire SkyDome from Sportsco for about $25 million – about 4% of the cost of construction.^{[citation needed]} Rogers Communications Inc. ...

Recent developments

The Rogers Centre logo is large enough to be seen for several kilometres.

On February 2, 2005, Ted Rogers, President and CEO of Rogers Communications, which also owns the Blue Jays, announced that his company would significantly increase the team payroll upwards of $210 million over the next three seasons, beginning in the 2005 season, and announced a three-year corporate contract to change the name of SkyDome to the Rogers Centre. After the purchase (for only $25 million), Rogers refurbished the stadium by, among other things, replacing the once state-of-the-art Jumbotron with a Daktronics ProStar screen, and erecting other new monitors, including several built into the outfield wall. They also installed a new artificial playing surface called FieldTurf.^[8] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1920 pixel, file size: 735 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1920 pixel, file size: 735 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Edward S. “Ted” Rogers (1934-) is the CEO of Rogers Communications Inc. ... Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the job of having the ultimate executive responsibility or authority within an organization or corporation. ... ABC SuperSign, with the largest Sony JumboTron in existence. ... Daktronics NASDAQ: DAKT is an American manufacturer of electronic signage, most notably sports scoreboards, based in Brookings, South Dakota. ... The wide plain of FieldTurf used at Torontos Rogers Centre was installed after the 2004 baseball season. ...

In May 2005, the Toronto Argonauts agreed to three five-year leases at Rogers Centre, which could see the Argonauts playing out of Rogers Centre up to and including 2019. The team has the option to leave at the end of each of the three lease agreements. The Argos also announced that they will not move into a new stadium that was being planned at York University, a project which York subsequently cancelled.^{[citation needed]} The Toronto Argonauts are a Canadian Football League team based in Toronto, Ontario. ...

In November 2005, Rogers Centre received a complete makeover in the 100 level concourse, making it larger. This required some seats to be removed, which lowered its capacity size. They also renovated 43 luxury boxes and converted some of them into larger party suites that can accommodate as many as 150 people.^[9]

In April 2006, the Rogers Centre became one of the first buildings of its size to adopt a completely smoke-free policy in Canada. The Rogers Centre made this decision in advance of an act of provincial legislature that required all Ontario public places to go smoke-free by June 1, 2006. Designated smoking rooms, or "puffers" as they were known, will no longer be available to patrons. As a result, smokers will no longer be able to smoke during events due to the pre-existing no pass-out policy, which does not allow for readmittance to the facility after exiting. A new Rogers Plus store was opened in the south end of the stadium on April 4, 2006.^{[citation needed]} is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rogers Plus is the overall banner for the retail operations of the Rogers Cable subsidiary of Rogers Communications. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Future developments

Next on the agenda is a complete makeover of the Blue Jays', Argonauts' and visitors' locker rooms.

Another project involves adding some type of façade to the exterior of the stadium, which has often been criticized for appearing "cold" and imposing (the exterior material is concrete.)^[10]

Etymology

Toronto city view from plaza in front of the Rogers Centre.

The name "SkyDome" was coined by a private citizen Kellie Watson, of the town of Wallaceburg, who entered a Province-wide "name the stadium" contest in 1987. Sponsored by the Toronto Sun, ballots were offered for people to submit their suggested name. Over 150,000 entries were received with 12,897 different names. The selection committee narrowed it down to four choices: "Towerdome", Harbourdome, SkyDome, and simply "the Dome". The judges' final selection was SkyDome. Over 2,000 people proposed: SkyDome, and as a result a winning name was drawn from all the similar entries. Premier David Peterson chose a name from a lottery barrel. The selected winner won lifetime seats to any event at SkyDome (including concerts). The two seats are located just behind home plate. In the press conference announcing the name, Chuck Magwood (president of the Stadium Corporation of Ontario) commented: "The sky is a huge part of the whole roof process. The name has a sense of the infinite and that's what this is all about". Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1920 pixel, file size: 916 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1920 pixel, file size: 916 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) self made I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU... Wallaceburg is an industrial town (pop. ... The Toronto Sun is an English language daily newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... The Honourable David Robert Peterson, PC , LL.B , BA (born December 28, 1943 in Toronto, Ontario) was the twentieth Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. ...

(Before being officially named, the stadium was reported in the media as simply "the dome")^{[citation needed]}

On December 18, 2006, when Rogers Communications Inc. and the Toronto Blue Jays held a press conference announcing the contract extension of Vernon Wells, President and CEO Ted Rogers stated that he and his wife held a party for the Blue Jays organization at "the Dome". This shows that even though the media is told to refer to the building as Rogers Centre, Rogers himself does not refer to it as such.^{[citation needed]} is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rogers Communications Inc. ... This article is about the Major League Baseball player. ... Edward Samuel Ted Rogers, Jr. ...

Stadium features

Several restaurants have views of events, Windows restaurant looks onto the playing field.

The venue was the first major team sports arena in North America to sport a functional, fully retractable roof; Montreal's Olympic Stadium also had a retractable roof, but it was a total failure. The roof is composed of four panels and covers an area of 345,000 square feet. The two middle panels slide laterally to stack over the north semi-circular panel, and then the south semi-circular panel rotates around the stadium and nests inside the stack. It takes 20 minutes for the roof to open or close.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2576 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... North American redirects here. ... A retractable roof is a technology used in many sports venues. ... Le Stade Olympique (The Olympic Stadium) is a stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

Even though the retractable roof would technically permit the use of natural grass, the stadium has always used artificial turf; initially AstroTurf, and FieldTurf since 2005. This article is about artificial grass. ... The wide plain of FieldTurf used at Torontos Rogers Centre was installed after the 2004 baseball season. ...

The centre also has an on-site fitness club, and Hard Rock Café. The Renaissance Toronto Hotel is also located within Rogers Centre, with some of the hotel rooms overlooking the field.^[11] A Hard Rock Cafe sign in Chicago, Illinois The Hard Rock Cafe restaurant chain was founded by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton, two Americans, on June 14, 1971. ... Renaissance Hotels is a worldwide brand of hotels and resorts. ...

• Artwork – over $5 million of artwork was commissioned in 1989.
  • The Audience – by Michael Snow is a collection of larger than life depictions of fans located above the northeast and northwest entrances. Painted gold, the sculptures show fans in various acts of celebration.
  • A Tribute to Baseball – by Lutz Haufschild – located above the Southeast and Southwest entrances of Gate 5.
  • The Art of the Possible – by Mimi Gellman – located inside along the north side of the concourse on Level 100. The glass and steel sculpture incorporates the signatures of 2000 builders of SkyDome, and is a tribute to their work. Some of the artifacts found during excavation such as musket balls and pottery have also been included. The brightly illuminated sculpture became an issue to baseball players when the stadium first opened. The bright lights were considered a distraction to batters.
  • Salmon Run – by Susan Schelle, located by the South East entrance; it is a large fountain that has various stainless steel salmon cutouts.
  • Spiral Fountain – by Judith Schwarz.^{[citation needed]}

Interior of the Eaton Centre showing one of Michael Snow and Joyce Wielands best known sculptures, called Flightstop, which depict Canada Geese in flight. ...

Rogers Centre videoboard

Rogers Centre videoboard

The main video screen in the Rogers Centre is called the Rogers Centre videoboard and is also known during Blue Jays games as "JaysVision". Designed by Daktronics, the screen is 33 feet high and 110 feet across. The panel is made up of modular light units that can be replaced unit by unit, and can be repaired immediately should it be damaged during an event. For a time, it was the largest of its kind in the world.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,304 × 1,728 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,304 × 1,728 pixels, file size: 1. ... Daktronics NASDAQ: DAKT is an American manufacturer of electronic signage, most notably sports scoreboards, based in Brookings, South Dakota. ...

The videoboard and the stadium played host to several television events, including the series finales for Cheers and Star Trek: The Next Generation, along with live coverage of the funeral of Princess Diana. Soccer fans were able to watch the 2006 FIFA World Cup final on July 9, 2006 at Rogers Centre on the state of the art video board.^{[citation needed]} A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... This article is about the TV series. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... Soccer redirects here. ... 2006 World Cup redirects here. ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Stadium usage

Sports

Blue Jays host the Detroit Tigers in MLB action.

Besides baseball and Canadian football, Rogers Centre was the original home of the National Basketball Association's Toronto Raptors, who played at the venue from November 1995 - February 1999 until moving to the Air Canada Centre. Rogers Centre has also hosted exhibition soccer, cricket, Gaelic football, Australian Rules Football and two NCAA International Bowl games. The 1992 World Series and 1993 World Series were played at Rogers Centre. The World Wrestling Federation hosted WrestleMania VI and WrestleMania X8 at Rogers Centre. ^[12] NBA redirects here. ... The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... North Entrance Atrium. ... Soccer redirects here. ... This article is about the sport. ... Gaelic Football (Irish: Peil, Peil Gaelach or Caid ), commonly referred to as football, or Gaelic , is a form of football played mainly in Ireland. ... High marking is a key skill and spectacular attribute of Australian rules football Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the key skill in Australian rules football Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy is a code of... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often said NC-Double-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... The International Bowl is a NCAA college American football bowl game played in Toronto, Ontario. ... Dates October 17, 1992–October 24, 1992 MVP Pat Borders (Toronto) Television network CBS & Simulcast in Canada on CTV Announcers Sean McDonough, Tim McCarver Umpires Jerry Crawford (NL), Mike Reilly (AL), Joe West (NL), John Shulock (AL), Bob Davidson (NL), Dan Morrison (AL) The 1992 World Series was the first... Dates October 16, 1993–October 23, 1993 MVP Paul Molitor (Toronto) Television network CBS & Simulcast in Canada on CTV Announcers Sean McDonough, Tim McCarver Umpires Dave Phillips (AL), Paul Runge (NL), Tim McClelland (AL), Charlie Williams (NL), Mark Johnson (AL), Dana DeMuth (NL) The 1993 World Series was the second... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... WrestleMania VI was the World Wrestling Federations (WWF) sixth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event and the first to be held outside of the U.S. It took place on April 1, 1990 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario with an announced attendance of 67,678. ... This article is about the professional wrestling pay-per-view event. ...

In June 1997, it featured a well-publicized 150 metre race between sprinters Donovan Bailey and Michael Johnson. Soccer matches have been regularly held in recent years; they had been rarely played at the venue when its Astroturf surface had been in place.^{[citation needed]} 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Sprinter is a microcomputer made by Peters Plus, Ltd. ... Donovan Bailey (born December 16, 1967) is a Canadian former athlete. ... Michael Duane Johnson (born September 13, 1967) is a retired American sprinter who holds world records in the 200 meters, 400 meters and 4 x 400 m relay. ... This article is about artificial grass. ...

Rogers Centre is the site of several major high school and collegiate sporting competitions including the Prentice Cup for baseball and, from 1989 to 2003, the Vanier Cup championship of Canadian Interuniversity Sport football (then SkyDome).^{[citation needed]} For other uses, see High school (disambiguation). ... A college (Latin collegium) can be the name of any group of colleagues; originally it meant a group of people living together under a common set of rules (con-, together + leg-, law). As a consequence members of colleges were originally styled fellow and still are in some places. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... The Vanier Cup. ... CIS Logo. ...

Toronto Argonauts vs. Hamilton Tiger-Cats, October 27th 2005.

In January 2007, Rogers Centre played host to the first ever International Bowl, an NCAA college football game between Western Michigan University and the University of Cincinnati. In 2008, Rutgers played Ball State in the second International Bowl. In November 2007, it hosted the 95th Grey Cup, its first since 1992 and third all-time. It was also the venue for the 2007 Desjardins Vanier Cup on Friday November 23, just two days before Grey Cup Sunday. It was the 16th Vanier Cup hosted at SkyDome/Rogers Centre, returning after a three year absence in which it was hosted by Hamilton, Ontario (2004 and 2005) and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (2006). It was the 56th Grey Cup hosted by the city of Toronto since the championship's inception in 1909, and the 40th Vanier Cup hosted by the Toronto since that championship's inception in 1965.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File linksMetadata Toronto_Argonauts_vs. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Toronto_Argonauts_vs. ... The International Bowl is a NCAA college American football bowl game played in Toronto, Ontario. ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often said NC-Double-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... This article covers college football played in the United States. ... Date November 25, 2007 Stadium Rogers Centre City Toronto Most Valuable Player James Johnson Most Valuable Canadian Andy Fantuz National Anthem Barenaked Ladies Coin toss Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley Halftime show Lenny Kravitz Attendance 52,230 expected[1] TV in Canada Network CBC, RDS, CBCHD Announcers (CBC) Steve Armitage... The Desjardins Group (or Mouvement des caisses Desjardins in French) is the largest association of credit unions in North America. ... The Vanier Cup. ... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: Together Aspire - Together Achieve Location in the province of Ontario, Canada Coordinates: , Country Province Incorporated June 9, 1846[1] Government  - Mayor Fred Eisenberger  - City Council Hamilton City Council  - MPs List of MPs Dean Allison Chris Charlton David Christopherson Wayne Marston David Sweet  - MPPs List of MPPs Sophia Aggelonitis Andrea... Saskatoon is a city located in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. ...

The National Football League's Buffalo Bills announced its intentions to play one of its games in the Rogers Centre in October 2007; the first of these games will take place on December 7th of the 2008 NFL season vs the Miami Dolphins.^[13] It will mark the first time an NFL team has established a "home" stadium outside the United States. NFL redirects here. ... For other uses, see Buffalo Bills (disambiguation). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... This is a list of seasons of the National Football League. ... League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1966–1969) Eastern Division (1966–1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970–present) AFC East (1970–present) Current uniform Team colors Aqua, Coral, Navy, White Mascot T. D. Personnel Owner H. Wayne Huizenga (50%) and Stephen M. Ross (50%) General Manager...

Games in the first round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic will be played at the Rogers Centre. The 2009 World Baseball Classic will be an international baseball competition. ...

Concerts

Soon after its opening, the stadium became a popular venue for large scale rock concerts and is the largest indoor concert venue in Toronto; it has hosted many international acts including Madonna, U2, The Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Simon and Garfunkel, Garth Brooks, Backstreet Boys, Roger Waters,Black Sabbath,Pantera, Janet Jackson, Avril Lavigne, Cher Halloween extravaganza in 2003, Michael W. Smith, and N'Sync. The stadium has several concert configurations, including smaller Theatre (capacity 5,000 to 7,000) and Concert Hall (formerly SkyTent; capacity 10,000-25,000). Due to the design of the stadium and building materials used, the acoustics have been known to be rather poor, and the loudness/quality can vary greatly around the stadium. Its popularity with artists and fans has diminished over the years, with most stadium concerts now taking place at the Air Canada Centre. Designers did develop the SkyTent as to help reduce sound distortion and improve sound quality. The tent is a group of acoustical curtain sails that is hoisted on rigging above the floor, to help dampen reverb of the music around the open stadium.^{[citation needed]} This article is about the American entertainer. ... This article is about the Irish rock band. ... Rolling Stones redirects here. ... Radiohead are an English alternative rock band from Oxfordshire. ... The duo of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are US-American popular musicians known collectively as Simon and Garfunkel. ... Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country Music artist. ... This article is about the band. ... George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and composer. ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Pantera (disambiguation). ... This article is about the singer. ... Avril Lavigne Whibley,[10] better known by her birth name of Avril Lavigne (pronounced ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian Grammy award-nominated rock singer, musician, fashion designer and actress. ... This article is about the entertainer. ... // Michael Whitaker Smith (born October 7, 1957, to Paul and Barbara Smith in Kenova, West Virginia), often nicknamed Smitty, is a Christian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist. ... *NSYNC is a five-part pop music vocal group, specifically a boy band, formed in Orlando, Florida, USA. The group members are James Lance Bass, Joshua Scott Chasez (JC), Joseph Anthony Fatone Junior (Joey), Christopher Alan Kirkpatrick (Chris), and Justin Randall Timberlake. ... North Entrance Atrium. ...

One of the more notable concerts was the 1990 Blond Ambition Tour by Madonna. The touring show had become extremely controversial due to the risque visuals and performances. When the concert arrived in Toronto, police were alerted that the show might violate local obscenity laws. The police were on site for the concert and threatened charges without changes. The show went on as planned, but no charges were laid. The incident is shown in the Madonna documentary Truth or Dare.^{[citation needed]} The Blond Ambition World Tour 1990 was a world concert tour by pop singer Madonna. ... This article is about the American entertainer. ...

On 17 May 2008, Canadian music station Much Music announced that Led Zeppelin plans to announce four August dates. However the band's management has since denied the rumors. ^[14] is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... MuchMusic (often called Much) is a 24-hour cable television music video and variety television channel based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which debuted on August 31, 1984 as one of the first Canadian cable specialty channels on the air. ... For the bands 1969 eponymous debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ...

Other uses

Rogers Centre contains 143,000 square feet (13,000 m²) of exhibition space, allowing it to host a variety of events year-round. A square foot is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 foot (unit of length) long. ...

It is home to several annual auto shows, with the Canadian International AutoShow in February and Importfest in October. Travelling shows like World Wrestling Entertainment (which has used the facility to host two WrestleMania events), Disney on Ice, Monster Jam and circuses also have used the venue. The Opening Ceremonies of the XVI International AIDS Conference were held at Rogers Centre on August 13, 2006.^{[citation needed]} An auto show, or motor show, is a public exhibition of current automobile models, debuts, concept cars, or out-of-production classics. ... The Canadian International Autoshow is the Canadian equivalent to the United States Autoshow held in Detroit. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... Official WrestleMania logo WrestleMania is an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment since 1985. ... Disney on Ice is a touring ice show produced by Feld Entertainment (CEO Kenneth Feld) under agreement with The Walt Disney Company. ... Monster Jam is a television show and live event created by Live Nation (formerly Clear Channel Entertainment). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The XVI International AIDS Conference will be held in Toronoto, Canada the week of August 13 - 18 2006. ... is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

It has also hosted many public speakers, including appearances by the Dalai Lama, Christian Evangelist Billy Graham, Nelson Mandela, and J. K. Rowling, for a book reading.^{[citation needed]} It has been suggested that After dinner speaker be merged into this article or section. ... Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (born Llhamo Döndrub (Tibetan: ; Wylie: Lha-mo Don-grub) 6 July 1935 in Qinghai [1]), is the fourteenth and current Dalai Lama. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Look up evangelist in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other persons named Billy Graham, see Billy Graham (disambiguation). ... For other people named Mandela, or other uses, see Mandela. ... Joanne Jo Murray, née Rowling OBE[1] (born 31 July 1965),[2] who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling,[3] is a British writer and author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. ...

In addition to being a venue that hosts sports, concerts and other events, the Rogers Centre also houses the head offices of a number of businesses. The Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Argonauts both have their office headquarters located in the building, and it is the home of the head offices of Ticketmaster Canada.^{[citation needed]} Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Other nicknames The Jays Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) Formerly named SkyDome (1989-2005) Exhibition Stadium (1977-1989) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1992 â€¢ 1993 AL... The Toronto Argonauts are a Canadian Football League team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... Ticketmaster is based in West Hollywood, California, USA, but has operations in many countries around the world. ...

Rogers Centre is the home of the main Ticketmaster outlet (ticket centre) for eastern Canada, located at the south end of the building beside Gate 7. As well, the building contains the Toronto Renaissance Hotel, a Premier Fitness/Health Club, a Rogers Plus store, a Hard Rock Cafe, and Windows Restaurant. Starting in 2006, the Hard Rock Cafe will only be open when there is a performance in the building. There are three box offices: Ticketmaster and the Argos box office are located at Gate 7, the Blue Jays box office is at Gate 9, and Rogers Centre Tours runs a box office at Gate 2. On non-event days, there are daily tours of the Rogers Centre. There are two gift shops that sell Rogers Centre and both Argonauts and Blue Jays merchandise – one at Gate 5 opened in April 2007, and one inside the Rogers Plus Store at Gate 8.^{[citation needed]} Renaissance Hotels is a worldwide brand of hotels and resorts. ... Rogers Plus is the overall banner for the retail operations of the Rogers Cable subsidiary of Rogers Communications. ... Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of casual dining restaurants. ... Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of casual dining restaurants. ... Rogers Plus is the overall banner for the retail operations of the Rogers Cable subsidiary of Rogers Communications. ...

Attendance records

• World Wrestling Federation's WrestleMania X8 attracted the largest ever paid crowd to SkyDome. The March 17, 2002 event gathered 68,237 fans. WrestleMania VI held the previous record of 67,678 on April 1, 1990.^{[citation needed]}
• Major League Baseball: The 1991 All-Star Game, played on July 9 attracted 52,383 spectators.
• Toronto Blue Jays Baseball: A crowd of 52,268 attended Game 5 of the 1992 World Series, which saw Toronto take on the Atlanta Braves.
• CFL Football: 54,088 packed SkyDome to watch the 1989 Grey Cup Game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
• Toronto Argonauts Football: The 1991 Eastern Division Final played against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers drew a crowd of 50,386.
• Toronto Raptors Basketball: A March 24, 1996 game against the Chicago Bulls drew a crowd of 36,131. For this game, the basketball venue was reconfigured to accommodate more fans due to the popularity of the visiting team. Surprisingly, the expansion Raptors handed the record-setting Bulls one of their ten defeats that season, winning 109-108.
• Soccer: A July 31, 2004 soccer game between Glasgow Celtic FC and AS Roma drew 50,158.

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... This article is about the professional wrestling pay-per-view event. ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... WrestleMania VI was the World Wrestling Federations (WWF) sixth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event and the first to be held outside of the U.S. It took place on April 1, 1990 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario with an announced attendance of 67,678. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Dates October 17, 1992–October 24, 1992 MVP Pat Borders (Toronto) Television network CBS & Simulcast in Canada on CTV Announcers Sean McDonough, Tim McCarver Umpires Jerry Crawford (NL), Mike Reilly (AL), Joe West (NL), John Shulock (AL), Bob Davidson (NL), Dan Morrison (AL) The 1992 World Series was the first... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) East Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966–present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... Date November 26, 1989 Stadium SkyDome City Toronto Most Valuable Player Offence: Kent Austin, Saskatchewan Defence: Chuck Klingbeil, Saskatchewan Most Valuable Canadian Dave Ridgway, Saskatchewan National Anthem Coin toss Halftime show Attendance 54,088 Network CBC, Canadian Football Network, Télévision de Radio-Canada Announcers CBC: Don Wittman, Ron... The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan, founded in 1910. ... The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Flying Wildcats. ... The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian Football League team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. ... The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the professional basketball team. ... Soccer redirects here. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Celtic F.C. (pronounced seltic, not keltic) is perhaps the most famous Scottish football club. ... A.S. Roma (Associazione Sportiva Roma) is a Italian football club. ...

Timeline

• 1986 – October 3 – Official ground breaking on the site.
• 1989 – June 3 – Stadium officially opens, hosting a live opening night event.
• 1989 – June 5 – Stadium sees its first Blue Jays game.
• 1989 – June 5 – Fred McGriff hits the first home run ever at SkyDome.
• 1989 – June 7 – John Cerutti records the first Blue Jays win at SkyDome.
• 1989 – June 8 – Rod Stewart performs the first concert at SkyDome.
• 1989 – The Saskatchewan Roughriders defeat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 43-40 in what many consider to be the greatest Grey Cup of all time.
• 1990 – ML baseball season attendance record is broken with 58 sellouts and a total crowd of 3,885,284
• 1991 – July 9 – Host of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game
• 1992 – The Calgary Stampeders defeat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 80th Grey Cup.
• 1993 – October 23 – The Blue Jays win their second straight World Championship after Joe Carter hits a walk off home run.
• 1995 – June 22nd, – 2 acoustic panels fall off the inner ceiling in the 7th inning injuring 7 fans.
• 1995 – July 9 – A worker dies when installing lights for a computer show (falling 25 feet)
• 1998 – November – SkyDome files for bankruptcy protection
• 1998 – SkyDome is bought by Sportsco.
• 2001 – August 3 – the roof was closed in the 3rd inning of a Toronto Blue Jays game, at the request of home plate umpire Tim Welke due to a major infestation of aphids.
• 2005 – February 2 – Rogers Communications buys the Stadium and renames it Rogers Centre.
• 2007 – November 25 – Rogers Centre plays host to the first Grey Cup in Toronto in 15 years, again won by Saskatchewan.

is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... -1... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Frederick Stanley Crime Dog McGriff (born October 31, 1963 in Tampa, Florida) is a former left-handed Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... John Cerutti (April 28, 1960 - October 3, 2004) was a former pitcher and a television analyst for the Toronto Blue Jays. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Rod Stewart CBE (born January 10, 1945), is a singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England, with Scottish parentage. ... The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan, founded in 1910. ... The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Flying Wildcats. ... The Grey Cup circa 2006. ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For others with similar names, see Joseph Carter (disambiguation). ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 215th day of the year (216th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Timothy James Welke (born August 23, 1957 in Pontiac, Michigan) is an umpire in Major League Baseball who was named to the American League staff prior to the 1984 season, and has worked throughout both major leagues since 2000. ... Families Adelgidae Aphididae Pemphigidae Phylloxeridae and several more Aphids (superfamily Aphidoidea) are small plant-sucking insects. ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Panoramic view of Blue Jays game with open roof.

Panoramic view of an Argonauts game at Rogers Centre.

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (5221x1601, 829 KB) Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Rogers Centre ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x227, 63 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

Facts and figures

Stadium related

• The stadium roof actually has a patent, preventing its design from being easily copied: U.S. Patent #05167097. Officially registered on December 1, 1992 to dome architects Rob Robbie and Chris Allen.
• The original mascot of the stadium was a turtle by the name of Domer.
• The McDonald's at SkyDome, other than being the largest in North America, was the first McDonald's in the world to sell hot dogs.
• When the retractable roof is open, people standing on the observation deck of the nearby CN Tower can look down on the field.
• 50 million people have visited SkyDome/Rogers Centre.
• When the roof is open, 91% of the seats and 100% of the field is open to the sky, covering an area of 3.2 hectares (8 acres).
• The roof weighs 11,000 tons, and is held together by 250,000 bolts.
• The steps on the top tier are the steepest in any stadium in North America.^{[citation needed]}
• The stadium's inward-looking hotel rooms have regular two-way windows, yielding instances of what some could consider indecent exposure. When SkyDome first opened, a couple engaging in sexual intercourse was televised on the scoreboard Jumbotron during a baseball game. Days later, a man was caught masturbating during a game in full view of the packed stands. The man, later tracked down by a Sports Illustrated reporter, calmly said, "I thought they were one-way windows." Patrons now have to sign contracts stipulating that they will not perform any lewd acts within view of the stadium.
• When the stadium first opened, the Toronto Transit Commission was worried about the challenge of moving the large crowds. As a way to streamline the entry to the subway and to encourage public transit use to the stadium, all tickets for the first 30 days also worked as a Metropass.
• The stadium corporation has been requested to help in the planning of other venues from the U.S., Netherlands, England, Australia, New Zealand, to Singapore, China and Germany (Source Rogers Centre Press release).
• It is the most expensive stadium in both the CFL and Major League Baseball, constructed at a price of C$570 million. This record is expected to be passed by the New Yankee Stadium, scheduled for completion in 2009, at a cost of US$800 million. However, if the cost of SkyDome in 1984 is adjusted for inflation, it would be roughly C$1.05 billion (2006).^{[citation needed]} If Montreal's Olympic Stadium (which used to be the home field of the Expos, now only used for CFL playoff games) were counted, it would take the title, with a cost C$1.6 billion in 1976.
• During the 2004 season, SkyDome became the last ballpark in MLB to have an AstroTurf playing surface.^{[citation needed]}

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See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

SkyDome

• List of Canadian Football League stadiums
• List of National Football League stadiums
• List of Major League Baseball stadiums
• List of Australian Football League grounds

This is a list of Canadian Football League stadiums. ... McAfee Coliseum Monster Park Qwest Field Qualcomm Stadium University of Phoenix Stadium Paul Brown Stadium Soldier Field RCA Dome Edward Jones Dome Arrowhead Stadium Invesco Field [at Mile High] Ford Field Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Lambeau Field Ralph Wilson Stadium Gillette Stadium Giants Stadium Reliant Stadium Louisiana Superdome Georgia Dome... The following is a list of current and former Major League Baseball stadiums. ... This List of Australian Football League grounds lists every ground upon which a senior VFL/AFL game has been played. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Screenshot of About. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Multimedia

• CBC archives – How the roof works with the architect 1989.
• Google satellite image
• SkyDome 3D model on Google Earth

Websites

• Official site
• Ballpark Digest Visit to Rogers Centre

Coordinates: 43°38′28.68″N, 79°23′21.17″W Original architectural model of the 4th Exhibition Stadium, from 1948 Exhibition Stadium was a stadium that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds in Toronto, Ontario. ... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Other nicknames The Jays Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) Formerly named SkyDome (1989-2005) Exhibition Stadium (1977-1989) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1992 â€¢ 1993 AL... Original architectural model of the 4th Exhibition Stadium, from 1948 Exhibition Stadium was a stadium that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds in Toronto, Ontario. ... The Toronto Argonauts are a Canadian Football League team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... The International Bowl is a NCAA college American football bowl game played in Toronto, Ontario. ... The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... North Entrance Atrium. ... For the former ballpark in Los Angeles, see Wrigley Field (Los Angeles). ... The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the Midsummer Classic, is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by fan vote for the starting position players and by the respective managers (from the previous years World... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 8 - Rod Carew, Gaylord Perry and Ferguson Jenkins are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, with Carew becoming the 22nd player to be named in his first year of eligibility. ... Qualcomm Stadium (a. ... Luna Park is an arena located on the corner of Corrientes and Leandro N. Alem Avenues, in east Buenos Aires city, near to Puerto Madero. ... For other uses, see Buenos Aires (disambiguation). ... The FIBA World Championship (also called the Basketball World Championship) is a world basketball tournament for mens national teams held quadrennially by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). ... Official logo The 1994 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Canada from August 4 to August 14, 1994. ... The Athens Olympic Sports Complex is the central group of facilities for the 2004 Summer Olympics. ... For other uses, see Athens (disambiguation). ... Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. ... For other uses, see Buffalo Bills (disambiguation). ... Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. ... Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino is a Trump branded casino resort located on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ at Mississippi Avenue. ... Boardwalk Hall, also known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall is an arena which served as the primary convention center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA, until the 1997 opening of the Atlantic City Convention Center. ... WrestleMania VI was the World Wrestling Federations (WWF) sixth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event and the first to be held outside of the U.S. It took place on April 1, 1990 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario with an announced attendance of 67,678. ... This article is about the year. ... The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena is an indoor arena in Los Angeles, California. ... Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is a domed sports stadium, the first of its kind, located in Houston, Texas. ... This article is about the professional wrestling pay-per-view event. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Safeco Field, sometimes simply referred to as Safeco, is the home of the Seattle Mariners baseball club. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...