City of Hamilton collects memorabilia for time capsule
Medal from Hamilton's 1930 British Empire Games first item placed inside
HAMILTON, ON, May 24, 2013 /CNW/ - Standing on a firm, newly poured foundation, the TORONTO 2015 Pan American/Parapan American Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) and its partners celebrated the progress made to date on the brand new Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium.
"It's exciting to stand here today and see the amazing progress that has taken place since December," said Ian Troop, Chief Executive Officer, TO2015. "This new stadium, where some of the world's top soccer teams will compete in 2015, is already 10 per cent complete. We're confident it — like all of our venues under construction — will be finished on time and on budget and leave a lasting legacy in Hamilton for generations to come."
This summer, workers will start installing the structural steel, or bones, of the $145.7-million stadium, located on a 5.45-hectare parcel where Ivor Wynne Stadium stood for more than 80 years until it was demolished in late 2012.
"The 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games and the building of the Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium are initiatives our Government is proud to support," said the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport). "After what will surely be an amazing soccer tournament at the 2015 Games, this facility will serve the people for many years by becoming a focal point for sport and cultural activities for Hamilton and the surrounding area."
The stadium, which is jointly funded by the Government of Canada, Province of Ontario and City of Hamilton, is slated to open in July 2014 — a full year before Hamilton hosts all 32 men's and women's soccer competitions during the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games.
"People in this community will have a top-notch new sport and recreation facility," said Michael Chan, Ontario Minister Responsible for the Pan/Parapan American Games. "The new Hamilton stadium is an example of how the 2015 Games are helping to create healthy, active and inclusive communities across southern Ontario."
To celebrate the new stadium, the City of Hamilton is collecting sports memorabilia and other items from residents and local sport heroes for a time capsule, which will be installed in the stadium during construction. The initial item added to the capsule was a medal from the first major international competition ever held in Canada: the 1930 British Empire Games.
The participant medal was donated to the city by Edna (Teddy) Robinson, a trailblazing educator in Hamilton, shortly before her death in 2005. The medal belonged to her father, M.M. (Bobby) Robinson, one of Hamilton's great sports editors who founded what later become the Commonwealth Games on the same ground where the new stadium for the Pan Am Games is rising. At the time she donated the medal, she asked city staff to ensure people would always remember her father's impact on sport in Canada.
The Hamilton stadium time capsule will contain memorabilia marking milestones of the former Ivor Wynne Stadium and the development of the new stadium and surrounding neighbourhood now and in the future.
"In the spirit of the Games' legacy, this will be a timeless capsule, evolving as we add other items marking stadium events and neighbourhood development milestones in the future," said Hamilton Mayor, Bob Bratina. "It's fitting to remember and pay tribute to Hamilton's incredible sports history as we embark on its next chapter with this brand new stadium and as host of soccer during the 2015 Pan Am Games."
Other time capsule contributions from partners supporting the TORONTO 2015 Games included a newspaper front page celebrating Toronto's winning bid for the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, a Team Ontario soccer kit and a book celebrating the history of Ivor Wynne Stadium.
Located in Hamilton's Stipley neighbourhood, the stadium is designed with flexibility in mind: it can host professional and amateur sports, community cultural happenings and prestigious national and international events.
The stadium has a realigned footprint facing north-south, which reduces wind and sun shading on the field of play. It has permanent seating for 22,500 spectators and through temporary seating has a potential expanded capacity of 40,000. The new Hamilton stadium will have fantastic sightlines and first-class amenities, such as 30 club suites, six elevators, bigger seat sizes, updated press and broadcasting facilities, and concession stands on all levels.
It also meets the highest standards for accessibility and the most up-to-date technical requirements of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), including new FIFA-approved artificial turf.
About TO2015
The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) is tasked with the responsibility of planning, managing and delivering the Games. Its mission is to ignite the spirit through a celebration of sport and culture. The TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10−26 and the Parapan American Games August 7-14.
The 2015 Games are funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, as well as other partners and sponsors. CIBC is the Lead Partner of the Games.
For more information about the Games, please visit toronto2015.org.
SOURCE: Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games
Teddy Katz
Director, Media Relations and Chief Spokesperson
TO2015
C: 647.404.5263
[email protected]
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