The Halifax Wanderers are looking toward the future this week, after they presented a proposal to the Halifax Regional Council for a privately-funded permanent stadium facility on the Wanderers Grounds site.
This new proposal offers to build a 10,500-seat stadium in the heart of downtown Halifax, which would feature a roof over seats, a stage for hosting concerts, and an artificial turf field to make the facility more readily available for community use. Plus, an underground parking garage would provide 650 much-needed new parking spaces for the neighbouring QEII Hospital.
Also included in the proposal is an additional, simultaneous plan to build a professional training facility, with a full-size soccer pitch (which can be covered with a dome for community winter use) as well as an Olympic-sized flag football field, at the Maybank soccer fields site in Dartmouth. That training centre would also be temporarily converted into a venue for the Wanderers to play their home matches during construction of the new Wanderers Grounds during the 2027 season.
The intent of it all, says Wanderers club president Derek Martin, is to create a worthy home for professional soccer in central Halifax, while providing a crucial community asset.
Since the club first kicked off in 2019, the Canadian Premier League side has been playing at a pop-up stadium at the Wanderers Grounds, which has been a successful home for the team's first few years, but not necessarily an adequate long-term venue for a professional club.
"We've been very consistent over the years with our intent," Martin told CPLsoccer.com. "It shouldn't be any surprise to anyone that we want to stay at the Wanderers Grounds. What's new is we've found a way to reduce the burden on taxpayers and bring private investment to help make these infrastructure projects a reality."
Martin pointed out that playing in a city-centre location has been a major boon to the Wanderers over the club's first few years, helping them build a strong relationship with the community and a burgeoning fanbase. However, the time has come for a new home.
Among the challenges of playing in their current pop-up stadium, Martin said, is the lack of running water or fixed washroom facilities, uncomfortable bleacher seating, and obstructed sightlines.
"We've sold out our seating capacity now, even under the very challenging circumstances," Martin said. "The list is long of all the challenges, yet we still managed to get 6,000-plus people out to every single game who love their team."
Martin also explained that the club plans to build the new stadium in a north-south orientation rather than its current east-west configuration, keeping the sun out of players' eyes.
The Wanderers also hope to continue working with Northern Super League side Halifax Tides, their current co-tenants at the Wanderers Grounds. Currently, visiting CPL teams use the same locker room as the Tides, but in the new permanent stadium, Martin said, the NSL club would have their own dedicated facility. He also confirmed that HRM would have visibility of the Tides' lease agreement as well as the Wanderers', with "complete equality" with regard to rental and operational costs.
Naturally, there may be some fans initially disappointed by the stadium's move to an artificial turf field. Currently, the Wanderers Grounds features one of just two natural grass playing surfaces in the Canadian Premier League.
The reality of playing in Canada, though, is that if this stadium is to be a community facility as well as a top sports and entertainment venue, they need a pitch that can withstand that usage.
"It's the reality of what we're dealing with," Martin said. "Is a grass field romantic and wonderful and great for the players? Of course it is, and it would be amazing if we lived in a climate that allowed us to maintain a grass pitch at a level that could still withstand community usage outside of professional teams. But with two professional teams now, with the Wanderers and the Tides using it, a grass field makes it impossible to open facilities up to the public.
"With the incredible need we have across Canada for more sports facilities, we're unfortunately not at a place where we can have a purely professional grass venue. It's not really fair, given the public nature of the land we're on; it's something that we felt was really important, that the entire community could utilize the space, not just the professional teams."
The grass pitch at the current Wanderers Grounds has also proved an obstacle for the team's training schedule. Since it's not feasible to train on that surface every day over the course of a season, they've been using a different public facility that doesn't quite suit their needs.
That's where Dartmouth comes into play.
"From a CPL standpoint, one of the challenges we've identified in the Wanderers being competitive for the top of the table is the lack of facility," Martin said. "We don't currently have a training facility, and we can't train out of the Wanderers Grounds every day because of the grass. ... For us to grow as a club, to become competitive with the top teams in the league and continue to grow our academy and increase the opportunities for more youth to get involved in the sport, we need to add more facilities. Adding the facility in Dartmouth allows the Wanderers Grounds to be truly an event venue, where our hope could be we could host 50-plus events a year."
Martin added that the Dartmouth training centre would provide even more opportunities for local sport: "We need a home base. We need a place that we can go every day. But by adding an additional premier field we're unlocking an additional 5,000 hours of community field time, which can be used by minor sport — not only soccer but flag football, rugby; it really benefits the entire ecosystem of sport in the city and in the province."
The Wanderers have been working to secure a permanent stadium for several years now; their original proposal to HRM in 2023, for a community stadium built partially with public funds, did not ultimately work out, so the club is now moving forward with this new plan.
If all goes well, Martin suggested, the new Wanderers Grounds will be a top-class sports and entertainment venue that all of Halifax will make use of. Even those who aren't soccer fans, or interested in attending a concert, may benefit from the hospital parking.
Over the past eight years, the community has embraced the Halifax Wanderers. Now, the club is keen to return the favour.