Sports Usage
Lansdowne Park has long been the primary sports facility in Ottawa. The sports venues located on the site have played host to championships in curling, figure skating, Canadian football, ice hockey and Association football. The Aberdeen Pavilion hosted Stanley Cup championship games in 1904 played by the Ottawa Silver Seven. The Civic Centre has hosted the Canadian Men's curling championship, Canadian and World championships in figure skating and the Memorial Cup Canadian junior-age ice hockey championships.
In particular, Frank Clair Stadium and its outdoor field has a long history of sports usage in baseball, football, lacrosse and soccer. The stadium has held Grey Cup football and World Cup Under 20 soccer championships. Before the south stands were built, the field was a combination baseball, outdoor lacrosse and football facility. The Ottawa Giants and Ottawa Athletics professional baseball teams used the facility from 1951 to 1954. In football, the Ottawa Rough Riders and Ottawa Renegades professional football teams used the field until 2005. Today the University of Ottawa football team uses the field. The Ottawa Lacrosse Club and the Ottawa Capitals lacrosse clubs used the field from before 1900 for field lacrosse.
A 0.25 miles (0.40 km) dirt track existed at the field and it was used initially for horse racing. In 1955, it was converted to host stock car racing. The track was extended to 0.33 miles (0.53 km), banked and paved in 1957. Successful financially, the stock cars were evicted from the site after lobbying by local residents. Race promoter Gerry Bisson then built a race track west of Ottawa in Stittsville, Ontario (now part of Ottawa) which is today known as Capital City Speedway.
The Horticulture Building, built in 1914, was designed for winter use as a curling rink with seasonal exhibition uses. Other buildings including the General Purpose Building and the McElroy Building, both since demolished, also had sheets of ice installed for curling.
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Famous quotes containing the words sports and/or usage:
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—Lesley Visser, U.S. sports reporter and announcer. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 82 (June 17, 1991)
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