Percival Molson Memorial Stadium facts for kids
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The stadium in 2024
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 Percival Molson Memorial Stadium
Location in Montreal
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium
Location in Southern Quebec
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium
Location in Quebec
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium
Location in Canada
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| Address | 475, avenue des Pins Montreal, Quebec H2W 1S4 |
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| Coordinates | 45°30′36.3″N 73°34′50.4″W / 45.510083°N 73.580667°W |
| Public transit |  Montreal Metro: McGill Place-Des-Arts |
| Owner | McGill University |
| Capacity | 23,035 |
| Surface | FieldTurf (2004–present) Astroturf (1976–2003) Grass (1919–1975) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 22 October 1915 |
| Construction cost | C$100,000 (approx.) ($1.44 million in 2021 dollars ) Renovations: $29.4 million ($35.7 million in 2021 dollars ) Total cost: $31.4 million in 2012 dollars |
| Architect | Percy Erskine Nobbs |
| Tenants | |
| McGill Redbirds and McGill Martlets (U Sports) (1915–present) Montreal Alouettes (CFL) (1947–1967, 1972, 1998–present) Montreal Royal (AUDL) (2014–2015) |
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Percival Molson Memorial Stadium is a famous outdoor stadium in Montreal, Quebec. It's often called Molson Stadium. This stadium is on the side of Mount Royal, a big hill in the city. It's a place where many exciting sports events happen.
The stadium is named after Percival Molson, a sports hero from McGill University. McGill University owns the stadium. It is the home field for the Montreal Alouettes, a professional Canadian football team. They have played there since 1998.
Many other teams also use the stadium. These include the McGill Redbirds and Martlets university teams. The Montreal Royal ultimate disc team and the Selwyn House Gryphons high-school football team also play here.
Contents
The Stadium's History
The stadium was built in 1914. It is located at the corner of University and Pine streets. Sports events stopped during World War I from 1914 to 1918.
Who Was Percival Molson?
Captain Percival Molson was a very important person for the stadium. He was a great-grandson of John Molson, who started a famous brewery. Percival Molson was a sports star at McGill University. He helped get the stadium plan approved.
Sadly, he died in France during World War I in 1917. In his will, he left $75,000 to McGill University. This money helped pay for most of the stadium's building costs. Other people like William C. Macdonald also donated money.
The stadium was first called "McGill Graduates' Stadium." It officially opened on October 22, 1915. On October 25, 1919, it was renamed "Percival Molson Memorial Stadium" to honor him.
The Montreal Alouettes at Molson Stadium
The Montreal Alouettes football team played at the stadium from 1954 to 1967. Then they moved to another stadium called the Autostade. They tried to come back in 1972 but it did not work out.
In 1997, the Alouettes had to move a playoff game. Their usual stadium, Olympic Stadium, was booked for a concert. They played the game at Molson Stadium. Many fans came, filling the stadium! This made the Alouettes decide to make Molson Stadium their main home again in 1998.
The stadium hosted the Grey Cup game in 1931. This was the first time the Grey Cup was played outside of Ontario. Molson Stadium was also used for field hockey during the 1976 Summer Olympics.
The stadium was very popular and often sold out for Alouettes games. In 2004, the Alouettes installed a new playing surface called FieldTurf. This replaced the older AstroTurf.
Stadium Upgrades
Molson Stadium was renovated and made bigger. Almost 5,000 new seats were added for the 2010 CFL season. This project cost $29.4 million.
The stadium's seating capacity increased to 25,012. Later, some seats were removed, making the capacity 23,420 in 2014. Before the 2019 season, the capacity was adjusted to 20,025.
How the Stadium Was Expanded
To add more seats, eleven rows were removed from one side of the stadium. A second level was built there, adding about 3,800 seats. Temporary seats at one end were replaced with 1,500 permanent seats. A new section was also added to a corner.
The government of Quebec helped pay for the renovations. The city of Montreal and Robert Wetenhall, the Alouettes' owner, also contributed money.
Stadium Design
The playing field at Molson Stadium has a running track around it. This means the very corners of the end zones are not as wide as the rest of the field. Since the 2014 CFL season, it is the only stadium in the CFL with these unique cut corners in the end zones.
See also
In Spanish: Molson Stadium para niños
- List of Canadian Football League stadiums
