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BC Place facts for kids

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BC Place Opening Day 2011-09-30
BC Place

BC Place is a huge sports stadium located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It's a very important place for sports and big events in the city. This stadium is the home field for two major teams: the BC Lions, who play Canadian football, and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, a professional soccer team.

History of BC Place

The stadium first opened its doors on June 19, 1983. It was originally built for a big event called Expo 86, which was a world's fair held in Vancouver. For many years, BC Place had a special "air-supported" dome roof, which meant it was held up by air pressure! It was actually the biggest stadium of its kind in the world for a while.

However, on May 4, 2010, that original roof was taken down. It was replaced with a brand-new, modern retractable roof. This new roof can open and close, which is pretty cool!

Teams and Major Events

Many exciting sports events have happened at BC Place over the years. The Vancouver Whitecaps soccer team (an earlier version of the current team) played there from 1983 to 1984. Also, the Vancouver Nighthawks basketball team played their 1988 season in the stadium.

BC Place has hosted the Grey Cup championship game, which is the biggest game in Canadian football, eight times! These games took place in 1983, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1994, 1999, 2005, and 2011.

Olympic and World Cup Events

The stadium played a huge role in the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games held in Vancouver. It was the place where the opening and closing ceremonies for both of these massive international events happened. Imagine all the athletes and fans gathered there!

BC Place also had the honor of hosting the final game of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. This was a very exciting event for soccer fans around the world.

Images for kids

  • B.C. Place from False Creek (cropped)

    Exterior view of BC Place from the south, with its original roof, October 2005

  • BCPlaceRoofApril2011

    Renovation works at BC Place, including the construction of the retractable roof, viewed in April 2011

  • BC Place Stadium - panoramio

    Exterior view of the stadium after its renovation, November 2014

  • Vancouver 2010 opening ceremony

    BC Place during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics

  • BC Place (19186581723) (2)

    Scene inside BC Place prior to the start of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Final

  • BC Place - night game (6219415118)

    Interior scene at BC Place during a 2011 Major League Soccer season match between the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Real Salt Lake

  • SkyTrain Mark III arriving at Stadium Chinatown Station

    Expo Line SkyTrain pulling into Stadium–Chinatown station, located adjacent to Rogers Arena and BC Place

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Estadio BC Place para niños

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