Percival Molson Memorial Stadium
| Company type | Stadium |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports venue |
| Founded | 1914 |
| Headquarters | Montreal , Canada |
Area served | Montreal and surrounding area |
| Products | Football stadium, sports events venue |
| Owner | McGill University |
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium (in French, Stade Percival-Molson; commonly referred to as Molson Stadium in English or Stade Molson in French) is an open-air venue for football and various other events situated on the slopes of Mount Royal within Downtown Montreal's Ville-Marie borough. Bearing the name of Percival Molson and owned by McGill University, it has been the home field for the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Alouettes during two periods: from 1954 to 1967 and again starting in 1998. Additionally, the stadium serves as the playing ground for McGill’s Redbirds and Martlets teams competing in the RSEQ, the American Ultimate Disc League’s Montreal Royal, Selwyn House Gryphons high-school football squad, and hosts matches for the Canadian Corporate Soccer League, recognized as the nation’s largest amateur corporate league.
History
Built in 1914 at the intersection of University Avenue and Pine (avenue Des Pins), the stadium remained inactive throughout World War I due to the suspension of football between 1914 and 1918. Captain Percival Molson (1880–1917), a McGill University alumnus and great-grandson of brewer John Molson, who was instrumental in endorsing the stadium project, lost his life in combat in France on July 5, 1917. His testament included a $75,000 legacy to McGill University, which financed a significant portion of the stadium’s completion. Contributions from benefactors William C. Macdonald and John W. McConnell also aided construction and subsequent upgrades. The stadium, designed by architect Percy Erskine Nobbs, was initially dedicated as "McGill Graduates' Stadium" on October 22, 1915, before being renamed "Percival Molson Memorial Stadium" on October 25, 1919.
The Montreal Alouettes utilized Molson Stadium as their home from 1954 until 1967 before relocating to the Autostade. A short-lived return occurred in 1972 but ended with a move back to the Autostade the following year. In 1997, when a playoff match scheduled at Olympic Stadium was displaced due to a U2 concert, the Alouettes hosted the game at Molson Stadium to a full house, which led to their reinstatement as primary occupants starting the next season. Nevertheless, playoff fixtures continued to be held at Olympic Stadium through 2015.
Molson Stadium was the site of its sole Grey Cup championship game in 1931—the first occasion this event was held outside Ontario—and functioned as a field hockey venue during the 1976 Summer Olympics. Originally accommodating 20,202 spectators, it consistently reached full capacity for Alouettes games from August 1999 through 2009. Beginning in 2009, renovations increased seating capacity beyond 25,000 before a reduction to 23,420 seats occurred in 2014. Ahead of the 2019 season, capacity was further decreased to 20,025 following a reconfiguration.
The Alouettes’ return faced challenges due to their sponsorship association with Labatt Brewing Company, while the stadium carried the name of competitor Molson. The team transitioned its sponsorship to Budweiser in 2014. In 2004, Molson Stadium’s playing surface was modernized by replacing outdated Astroturf with contemporary FieldTurf.
Renovation
A $29.4 million refurbishment project expanded Molson Stadium’s seating by nearly 5,000 seats, raising total capacity to 25,012 for the commencement of the 2010 CFL season.
The upgrade involved constructing a second tier on the south side adding approximately 3,800 seats; replacing temporary bleachers located in the east end-zone with permanent seating for about 1,500 fans; extending seating arrangements toward the northeast corner; and installing 19 new private suites. Financial support for this development came from multiple sources: $19.3 million from the government of Quebec, $4 million contributed by Montreal city authorities, and $6 million invested by Alouettes owner Robert Wetenhall.
Layout
The presence of a surrounding running track restricts the stadium’s field from fully accommodating the standard 65-yard width and 20-yard depth of the end zones along both end lines. Nevertheless, over half of each end zone maintains the complete width, with only minor corner portions excluded. Since the 2014 CFL season, Molson Stadium stands as the sole CFL location featuring truncated corners on its end zones, following Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium which modified its end zones to a squared design.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Canadian Football League venues
- Soccer venues in Montreal
- McGill Redbirds football
- Molson family
- Montreal Alouettes
- Sports venues in Montreal
- Venues of the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Olympic field hockey venues
- Mount Royal
- McGill University buildings
- College football venues in Canada
- Percy Erskine Nobbs buildings
- Ultimate (sport) venues
- 1915 establishments in Quebec
- Sports venues completed in 1915
- Canadian football venues in Quebec