Every day, a wide variety of events take place in Toronto: festivals, concerts, sports competitions, and cultural happenings. After all, a city of millions needs some form of entertainment. That’s why the metropolis has a large number of different locations, sports arenas, and stadiums. Today we will talk about the well-known Allan A. Lamport Stadium, located in the Liberty Village neighbourhood. It serves as the training complex for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, as well as the home arena for Canada’s national rugby team. Read more about the history of this sports arena’s creation and development on the torontoski.info website.
What Was on the Stadium’s Site
Few people know, but the site of the modern Allan A. Lamport Stadium was once home to a women’s reformatory — the Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women. The women’s reformatory operated for a considerably long time: from 1872 to 1969.
In 1974, the prison buildings were demolished, and almost a year later, the construction of the sports arena took place.
In September 1976, the stadium was opened to the public. Notably, the sports arena was named after Allan Lamport, a mayor of Toronto. He was also a proponent of the city’s sports development.
Development of Allan A. Lamport Stadium
Artificial turf was chosen for the sports arena. It should be noted that, at that time, it was one of the first such systems not only in Toronto but in all of Canada.
The design of the new field was practical, as it could host soccer matches as well as rugby competitions. The stadium was designed with 9,600 seats.
In 1980, an international soccer tournament was organized at Allan A. Lamport Stadium, featuring Portugal’s “Benfica” and Yugoslavia’s “Partizan.” In addition, the sports arena became home to clubs from the National Football League.
In 2007, changes were made — the decision was made to replace the artificial turf with a more modern version. Eleven years later, the infrastructure was updated. These changes occurred after the Toronto Wolfpack moved up to the Super League.
Furthermore, in 2009–2010, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment invested $1.2 million Canadian in the installation of an inflatable dome for year-round use.
Major Events Held at the Stadium
Many events have taken and continue to take place at the Allan A. Lamport Stadium sports arena: the international soccer tournament, Toronto Wolfpack matches, rugby league competitions between the national teams of Canada and the USA, and Toronto Arrows Major League Rugby matches.
However, in addition to sports matches and competitions, concerts and festivals are often organized here: the Caribana Festival, training camps, circus performances, and more.
Yet, not everything is as good as it seems at first glance. People experiencing homelessness set up an encampment in the area around Allan A. Lamport Stadium. They organized their own camp there. Naturally, this situation was not well-received by athletes and fans. In July 2021, police decided to clear the area of this makeshift camp. However, the encampment’s residents were supported by some city residents who organized a protest. Law enforcement was forced to arrest the residents and protestors who resisted. This event received widespread coverage on social media and in the press.
Allan A. Lamport Stadium is not the largest stadium in Toronto. Our city has much larger sports arenas. However, this stadium is also popular among local residents. The location serves as the training complex for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. The sports arena is also used as the home field for Canada’s national rugby team.
That is the story behind the creation of Allan A. Lamport Stadium, on the site of which there was once a women’s prison. We hope you found our material informative and learned more about your home city.