"Domed If Ya Do, Damned If Ya Don't"

There has been a lot of discussion in the Saskatchewan media and in coffee shops across the province about the proposed Regina Multi-Purpose facility for the current CP Rail yards in downtown Regina.

Now I have loved, still love, and will love the riders forever. I've been going to the majority of home games with my dad since I was a wee lad. I have sat in the exact same seats in section 203 through the good (See: 2007 Grey Cup) and the bad (See: Jimmy Kemp). My family bleeds green, and it is rare to listen in on a supper time conversation without the topic shifting to the latest rider news. However, I have hated the idea of building the proposed domed stadium since day one.

The "Riderdome" has been widely promoted for the past few years as being a key aspect of revitalizing downtown Regina. Feasibility studies were done, and it was deemed to be a legitimate possibility. Local media, sports fans, and much of the mainstream province went insane.

The prospect of a shiny new extravagant multipurpose facility was an alluring one. How better to let the world know that Saskatchewan is rolling in it? It was to be a celebratory symbol of Saskatchewan's growth and it's triumph for the municipal and provincial governments over the last ten years!

Throughout all of the hoopla, I kept asking myself one question: How necessary is this dome? Do we really need to spend $431-million dollars (likely over $450-million with cost overruns) on a stadium, when we could build an adequate and modern facility for half the price?

Looking across the league at other CFL franchises, there are currently 4 stadiums being built, renovated, or that are scheduled for some type of construction: Hamilton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. For the sake of comparison, let's look at the Winnipeg stadium proposal.

Winnipeg is currently building a 33,000-seat stadium (similar to what Saskatchewan would require) on University of Manitoba land. We'll set aside the financial mess that is currently happening. The stadium has a price tag of $190,000, or likely somewhere over $200,000 with cost overruns and will be equipped with an inflatable dome for use in the winter.

The facility is both cost efficient and functionable. The inflatable bubble will render it useful for events and activities year round, and the facility will easily meet the needs of the people of Winnipeg.

Riderdome was a classic case of the excess, and the federal government likely viewed it the same way when it was reviewing the proposal for funding.

That being said, Taylor field is crumbling and the riders are in need of a new facility. It doesn't make sense to continue to dump money into a 100 years old building, so something new will have to be constructed. One has to wonder if the fed's decision would have been different if the province and the city had proposed a less flashy, more functionable plan such as Winnipeg.

Personally, I prefer watching football in Saskatchewan outside anyways. (Domes are for wimps)

Nick.