It first opened its doors in 1930 as a venue for the British Empire Games. Twenty years later, the CFL’s Tiger-Cats made it their permanent home — but all that will end this Saturday as Hamilton’s storied Ivor Wynne Stadium will play host to its final game when the Ti-Cats welcome the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Since 1950, Ivor Wynne Stadium has housed eight Grey Cup championship teams. As for the Grey Cup event itself, the hollowed venue hosted the big game three times and in 2004 and 2005, hosted the Vanier Cup, which goes to the best team in Canadian University football.

Upon its opening in 1930, Ivor Wynne (originally Civic Stadium) could hold just 2,000 spectators. It would remain that way for the better part of the next two decades until the Ti-Cats moved in and realized that the seating capacity just wasn’t enough. After a request from the team, the City of Hamilton approved the installation of bleachers on the stadium’s north side and by 1959, 15,000 more seats were added. The renovations also included washroom facilities which, when you think about it, are next to impossible to imagine any sporting venue without.

The stadium didn’t officially change its name to Ivor Wynne until 1970, named after the man who had created a physical education course and built a physical education facility at Hamilton’s McMaster University, listing only a couple of the accomplishments Wynne made for both the university and the city of Hamilton.

While the stadium needed countless renovations over the years, the City of Hamilton forked over millions of dollars to keep Ivor Wynne Stadium going. The stadium, an embarrassment to the Canadian Football League in many ways, was held dear to the hearts of Hamiltonians for generations, and now it’s time to say goodbye.

From Paul Osbaldiston’s dramatic game-winning field goal in 1998 that sent Hamilton to the Grey Cup to the countless matchups in the hated rivalry that was the Ti-Cats versus the Toronto Argonauts, Ivor Wynne Stadium has been a shrine no matter how decrepit it looked to outsiders. I’ve been to Ivor Wynne many times for Ti-Cats games and each time was a great way to spend a few hours. While most of the games I went to were during years when the Ti-Cats were terrible, the atmosphere never lacked. Those most loyal of fans packed the stadium tight as I could see nothing but black and yellow from one end of Ivor Wynne to the other. While the Ti-Cats will move on, a significant part of the team’s mystique will be no more as it will be left behind with Ivor Wynne Stadium and its eight-plus decades of memories.

For generations, fans have found solace at 75 Balsam Drive in North Hamilton cheering on their team whether they were at the top of the standings with the highest of championship aspirations or scraping their way at the bottom thinking of the following season. Saturday night’s game against Winnipeg will mark the final time this age-old tradition of Steel Town’s will take place.

Ivor Wynne Stadium was a temple, if you will, for the proudest and most loyal of Tiger-Cats to congregate and stand behind their beloved team through thick and thin. Like death, the near-expiration of Ivor Wynne won’t be a time for mourning but instead a celebration of all the wonderful memories over the years. The storied venue may soon be gone but never will it be forgotten.

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Ryan Cowley is a writer at Toronto Standard. Follow him on Twitter @RyanACowley.

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