The Halifax Wanderers have established a Stadium Advisory Board to receive important guidance from recognized industry professionals as the Wanderers work to privately fund a permanent outdoor sports and entertainment venue in downtown Halifax.
On Wednesday, the club announced the board's founding members: Carrie Cussons, Darren Czech, Joe McGuinness and Dr. William Stanish. The founding board members have extensive experience in numerous key industries including sports & entertainment, events, hospitality, infrastructure, real estate, recreation and construction.
“I am extremely grateful for the support of such an esteemed group of community-minded industry leaders,” Halifax Wanderers Founder Derek Martin said. “This is a major infrastructure project that will have tremendous impact on the healthcare, event, sport and downtown industries, so having a group of people who care so deeply for their community and want to see this project realize its full potential is a testament to its viability and importance.”
Carrie Cussons will serve as the board’s chair and brings incredible experience in the sports & entertainment industry. She is the former President & CEO of Events East Group, where she had accountability for the leadership of the Halifax Convention Centre and the Scotiabank Centre. Joining the organization in 2009, Carrie was a strategic leader in all areas of the business with the core responsibility for ensuring the efficient delivery of corporate and operational initiatives to support business growth and success.
“There is a tremendous need in Halifax for an outdoor sports & entertainment facility that can have a positive impact on our economy and quality of life as the Scotiabank Centre has done from an indoor facility perspective,” Cussons said. "Derek has invested and fought for an appropriate venue for almost a decade, and I am happy to support him in his mission to make our community stronger through sport.”
Darren Czech is the CEO of the Cherubini Group of Companies, which includes Cherubini Bridges & Structures, R&D Cranes, Progressive Cabinets, Quality Blasting & Coatings, and other specialized businesses serving industrial, infrastructure, commercial, and residential markets. He has more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning hospitality, technology, manufacturing, and construction. Czech is a results-driven executive with more than 30 years of experience in operational leadership, strategic problem-solving, sales, marketing, and organizational transformation. He is recognized for building high-performing teams and leading businesses through growth, change, and continuous improvement across diverse industries, emerging markets, and complex operating environments.
Joe McGuinness is the owner of Platinum Hospitality Inc. and Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub. He is the past president of the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia and Vice Chair of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission’s Board of Directors. McGuinness has decades of experience in Nova Scotia’s hospitality industry. Previously the Vice President of food and beverage at Casino Nova Scotia, McGuinness founded Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub in 2009, a staple of Halifax’s vibrant downtown.
Dr. William Stanish's career in sports spans more than seven decades as an athlete, builder, and practitioner of sports medicine. After a decorated athletic career in both football and hockey at Dalhousie University, Stanish founded Dalhousie’s Orthopedic & Sport Medicine Clinic in 1976. He served as Chief Medical Officer at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games and is an inductee of the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame and recipient of the Order of Nova Scotia, awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal and the King Charles III Coronation Medal. He is a passionate advocate of sport and recreation, volunteering his time to promote new recreation spaces in his community. He has chaired multiple fundraising endeavours and held executive positions on a number of provincial, national and international societies.
In September, Halifax Wanderers Founder Derek Martin presented HRM Council with a proposal for the Wanderers to privately fund construction of a permanent stadium at the Wanderers Grounds and a community sports hub in Dartmouth. The two projects would create 10,000 combined hours of new field time for public recreation in HRM. A permanent stadium at the Wanderers Grounds would allow Halifax to host numerous outdoor sporting events, concerts, & cultural events in addition to Halifax Wanderers and Halifax Tides matches.
More information on the Wanderers’ proposal is available at hfxwanderersfc.ca/stadium