A Halifax pop-up stadium at the Wanderers Grounds will open next month, providing another sign of the Canadian Premier League‘s anticipated arrival in 2019.
An official announcement awaits, but it is anticipated that the Canadian Premier League will soon unveil an eight-team slate for its inaugural 2019 season. Halifax is expected to be in that mix, joining a group that will likely include Edmonton, Calgary, British Columbia, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Ottawa and North York, Ont.
Any Canadian Premier League team would not begin play until 2019, but a pop-up venue at the Wanderers Grounds is set to open next month. Halifax, Sports & Entertainment Atlantic–led by president and owner Derek Martin–has permission to host events at the facility from June through late October of this year, with that slate including sports like soccer, football, and rugby. That arrangement will serve as something of a test before the Canadian Premier League begins play. More from Halifax Today:
SEA has approval for eight “full stadium ticketed events” from June through Oct 26 of this year with rugby, soccer and football games permitted, but outdoor concerts not allowed. All events also must conclude by 8 p.m.
Martin said construction on the temporary facility, which is expected to hold roughly 6,000 spectators, will begin at the start of next month and will take about a week.
He also said more announcements about events are expected closer to the end of May.
According to SEA’s one-year lease with HRM, this year will serve as a ‘test year’ for the field at the Wanderers Grounds so city staff can make sure the condition of the field isn’t negatively impacted.
As noted, an official announcement of the Canadian Premier League’s inaugural season lineup awaits. However, some key announcements are expected to take place soon, with the league planning to unveil one team at a time starting this week, with additional clubs unveiled over the following weeks.
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