MOOSE JAW — Demolition has begun of the historic Memorial Field grandstands, which have been a fixture in the community for nearly 80 years.
The city built the venue — at the corner of Caribou Street East and Third Avenue Northeast — in 1946 to honour veterans returning from the Second World War, while in 2019, it named the ball diamond after Lyle Helland, the long-term venue operator and a well-known volunteer.
However, after 78 years, contractors have begun demolishing the grandstands — they were last renovated in 2001 — because of their age; the bleachers have been closed to the public since last year because they became a safety hazard.
City council voted in June to demolish the grandstands and reconstruct the main amenities for $258,220; former mayor Clive Tolley expressed sadness after the meeting about the demolition.The city will spend $87,720 next year and $170,550 in 2026 on reconstructing amenities.
New main amenities will include a sound booth, maintenance shed, storage shed and electrical/irrigation utility building, while other upgrades from 2024 to 2026 will include replacing the players’ dugouts, enhancing the field lighting, replacing all exterior fencing and installing protective netting in right field.
Furthermore, the city will install a large wood fence at the entrance to match the park’s historical façade and bring in two aluminum bleachers from the Yara Centre’s outdoor soccer fields for spectator seating.
Also, because the park will no longer have washrooms or change rooms, the city will rent two portable toilets to accommodate visitors.
City hall expects to complete the initial upgrades by next spring.
Demolition of the grandstands and clean-up of the site are expected to take several weeks.
