When plans were announced a few years ago to construct a new stadium in Regina to replace the venerable Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field, the reaction for the people of Saskatchewan was mixed.
The anger wasn’t just because people had a sentimental attachment to “Old Mosaic.” There were many who questioned the need to have a new stadium in Regina. They believed the taxpayer dollars that would be funnelled into the building could be better spent elsewhere.
While they had a point, nobody should have ever denied the need for a new stadium in Regina. Old Mosaic had a lot of history and old-fashioned charms, but it had surpassed its best before date. Upgrades had been made to many amenities – the scoreboard, the seats and the playing surface – but areas such as the concourse could not be renovated. The stadium had to be replaced.
It’s hard to believe this province’s beloved football team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, are now about to play their first regular season game in the new Mosaic Stadium. Yes, there have been test events – a University of Regina Rams football game, a concert and a Rider preseason game – but for most people, the reality of the new digs will hit when the Riders take to the field for the first time in a relevant game.
There are bugs that need to be worked out, but there’s no denying that New Mosaic is magnificent. Many will have a hard time believing that the nicest stadium in the country would be in Regina, Saskatchewan.
There are stadiums that are bigger, but there isn’t one that’s nicer. It’s not just that New Mosaic is the best and most intimate venue to watch a football game, it’s the nicest overall stadium in the country.
Yes, there are the lingering concerns about the building’s necessity, but not many. Estevan area residents might remember the question marks about Affinity Place’s construction, but the reasonable skeptics were silenced once they looked inside the events centre in 2011.
The biggest concern for New Mosaic is that it’s an open-air stadium. People wanted a retractable roof or a dome.
A retractable roof would have been great, because it would have allowed for the stadium to be a true year-round facility. But it would have been expensive.
As for a dome, there’s a reason nobody builds domed stadiums anymore. If New Mosaic were to have a dome, it would have been obsolete before the first game.
Besides, football is supposed to be played in the elements, with wind, rain and even snow. It’s why football is played in late fall (and in the case of the NFL, the winter).
We’re thrilled to see New Mosaic complete and ready to host its first meaningful CFL game. We’re looking forward to the other events it will host.
And we’re thrilled the nicest stadium in Canada is now in Saskatchewan.
