Taylor Field (Regina, Saskatchewan) facts for kids
Mosaic Stadium in its final configuration.
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| Former names | Park de Young (1936–1946) |
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| Location | 1910 Piffles Taylor Way P.O. Box 1966 Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3E1 |
| Owner | City of Regina |
| Capacity | Football: 33,427 (55,438 with temporary seating) |
| Surface | Dirt (1936–1946) Grass (1946–1978) 3M Tartan Turf (1979–1987) OmniTurf (1988–1999) AstroTurf (2000–2006) FieldTurf (2007–2016) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | October 21, 1936 |
| Renovated | 1936, 1978–79, 2005–06, 2012–13 |
| Closed | November 5, 2016 |
| Demolished | October 27, 2017 |
| Tenants | |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL) (1936–2016) Regina Rams (U Sports) Regina Thunder (CJFL) Regina High School Football Regina Riot (WWCFL) |
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Taylor Field, also called Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field, was an outdoor sports stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan. It was the home of the Saskatchewan Roughriders football team from 1936 to 2016. The team had played at this location since 1921.
The stadium was first built to host both baseball and football games. In 1966, it was changed to be only for football. Taylor Field was also home to other teams. These included the University of Regina Rams, the Regina Thunder, and the Regina Riot. High school football games were also played there.
The City of Regina owned and managed the stadium. It had an artificial turf playing surface. By 2012, it could seat 32,848 people.
Taylor Field closed after the 2016 football season. A new stadium, also called Mosaic Stadium, took its place. The new stadium opened in 2017. Demolition of the old Taylor Field started in September 2017 and finished on October 27, 2017. The land where the stadium stood will now be used for new buildings and spaces.
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History of Taylor Field
The stadium was located in the North Central part of Regina. The very first sports field on this spot was called Park Hughes. It was built in 1910 for rugby, which is similar to Canadian football.
The Regina Rugby Club, now the Roughriders, was founded in 1910. They played their first game at Park Hughes on October 15, 1921. The field was basic, with a dirt surface. If it rained a lot, the field turned into mud. The team sometimes had to play games at other places. In 1924, the club started calling themselves the "Roughriders."
In 1928, Park Hughes was combined with a nearby baseball field called Park de Young. The new, larger area was named Park de Young. A football field was set up there. However, for a few years, the Roughriders played their games at the exhibition grounds, which could hold more fans.
In 1936, a permanent grandstand with 5,000 concrete seats was built at Park de Young. The team moved back and stayed there for 80 years. Lights were added in 1937. For ten years, the playing surface was still dirt. Heavy rain made it muddy, and dry weather made it dusty. Finally, in 1946, grass was planted on the field.
In 1947, the stadium was renamed Taylor Field. It was named after Piffles Taylor, a lawyer and former football player and coach. He was also president of the Regina Roughriders. Taylor was known for being very tough. He lost an eye in World War I but kept playing football. Once, his glass eye even popped out during a game! Players from both teams helped him find it so he could put it back in and keep playing.
Former Roughriders player Hugh Campbell once said that when he first saw the stadium in 1963, it looked like it had been built piece by piece. He remembered that part of the dressing room for new players had a dirt floor.
Stadium Upgrades and Changes
Between 1978 and 1979, the stadium was improved. About 7,000 seats were added on the west side. The natural grass field was replaced with artificial turf. This turf was later changed to OmniTurf in 1988, and then to AstroTurf in 2000. In 2005, a new scoreboard was installed. It included the stadium's first large replay screen.
More upgrades happened in 2005. Bathrooms and food stands were made better. Seats on the east side were fixed. A new sound system was added, along with the "SaskTel MaxTron" video board. In 2006, a special VIP area was built in the south endzone for sponsors. In 2007, the field got a newer type of artificial turf called FieldTurf. Taylor Field was the last stadium in the CFL to switch from the older AstroTurf.
On June 23, 2006, the Roughriders and The Mosaic Company made a deal. The stadium was renamed Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field. This deal kept the original Taylor Field name, which was special.
In 2008, the Roughriders added temporary seats to the stadium. This was because so many people wanted to buy tickets. An extra 2,145 seats were added, making the total capacity 30,945. These temporary seats were used for big games, like the Labour Day Classic. They were removed after the season but often put back for future seasons.
On February 24, 2012, the Roughriders announced a big renovation plan. This plan, called the "Legacy Project," cost $14 million. It was to get the stadium ready to host the 101st Grey Cup. The first part of the renovations was finished for the 2012 season. This included 7,000 more seats and 27 new corporate suites. More bathrooms and food stands were added. The main video screen was upgraded to a large 60-foot LED screen. Another screen shaped like Saskatchewan was added next to it. For the 2013 season, the stadium could hold up to 45,000 people with temporary seating.
Special Events at Taylor Field
Taylor Field hosted many important events, especially football games and concerts.
Football and Other Sports Events
- Taylor Field was the location for three Grey Cup games: the 83rd, 91st, and 101st Grey Cups. For each of these big games, temporary seating was added for an extra 20,000 to 25,000 fans.
- The stadium also hosted field hockey during the 2005 Canada Games.
- Some of the longest field goals in CFL history happened at Taylor Field. This was partly because Regina can be very windy.
- Dave Cutler kicked a 59-yard field goal in 1970.
- Paul Watson tied that record with a 59-yarder in 1981.
- Dave Ridgway kicked a 60-yard field goal in 1987. This was the first time a 60-yard field goal was made in CFL history.
- Paul McCallum broke that record with a 62-yard field goal in 2001.
Concerts at the Stadium
Taylor Field was also a popular place for big music concerts.
| Date | Artist(s) | Opening act(s) | Tour | Tickets sold | Revenue | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 6, 2006 | The Rolling Stones | Three Days Grace | A Bigger Bang | — | $10,000,000+ | Both shows sold out in less than an hour. |
| October 8, 2006 | ||||||
| August 24, 2009 | AC/DC | — | Black Ice World Tour | 41,271 / 41,271 | $3,531,449 | Tickets sold out in less than an hour. |
| July 28, 2010 | Bon Jovi | Kid Rock | The Circle Tour | 33,070 / 33,070 | $2,969,495 | The music video for This Is Our House was filmed here. |
| August 14, 2013 | Paul McCartney | — | Out There | 38,750 / 38,750 | $4,553,590 | This was his first concert in Regina. |
A concert by Aerosmith was planned for August 9, 2009, but it was cancelled. This happened because Steven Tyler, the band's singer, was injured after falling off a stage at another show.
The New Stadium Takes Over
On July 12, 2012, it was announced that a new stadium would be built for the Roughriders. This new stadium would be located at Regina's exhibition grounds.
Taylor Field hosted its last Roughriders game on October 29, 2016. The very last football game played there was a Canada West conference semi-final with the Regina Rams the following week. The Roughriders moved to the new Mosaic Stadium for the 2017 season.
In 2017, items from the old stadium were sold off before it was taken down. The demolition began in September 2017. The tallest part of the stadium, the west grandstand, was taken down on October 27, 2017.
