Halifax stadium debate raises questions about use of public space, taxpayer spending

On days the Halifax Wanderers play at home, Keara Turner can be found in the stands with an enthusiastic group of fans known as Privateers 1882.

Before the games, members gather at various Halifax bars for pre-game drinks and meals, then march together to Wanderers Grounds to watch the Canadian Premier League soccer club. They often head to a bar after the games and organize watch parties at local pubs when the Wanderers play on the road.

"A stadium, in general, is something our city needs and this really is a key location and I think something that just improves the downtown core and then can also give back to the downtown core as well," said Turner, a director with Privateers 1882. The group's name is a nod to the Wanderers Amateur Athletics Club, which was formed in 1882 and used the site that now bears its name.

Since 2019, the Wanderers have played in a pop-up stadium at Wanderers Grounds, a piece of land that's part of the Halifax Common. There's no running water, porta-potties are the bathrooms and any food served must come from food trucks or hot dog carts.

The Halifax Tides women's team also started playing at the venue earlier this year.

Halifax council is looking at building a permanent stadium at the site. City staff recently came up with a mix of stadium options that would range in size, as well as changes to facilities operated by groups such as the Halifax Lancers and the Wanderers Lawn Bowling Club.

The anticipated cost ranges from $116 million to $123 million, assuming construction starts in 2029.

The debate around whether the city should build a stadium is complex. It's one that sparks passionate discussions about the use of public space and taxpayer money, what's an appropriate location and economic benefits.

Turner supports the idea of the proposed stadium and its location. She points to how supporting infrastructure, such as roads, transit, hotels and bars and restaurants are all in place, as opposed to other locations that sometimes get mentioned, such as Shannon Park or near Exhibition Park.

"It really promotes more sprawl," said Turner. "And I think we need to get away from that as a city. We need to really improve our downtown core and ... make it a world-class downtown core and be able to compete with cities like Montreal and Toronto for investment and major events."

Moshe Lander, a sports economist at Concordia University in Montreal, has also lived and taught in Halifax. He said stadiums used to be placed outside of cities where people could park their cars in massive lots, but that thinking has changed.

"People started realizing that maybe the game itself is just part of what people want to experience," said Lander.

The thinking now is being able to walk to and from games or use public transit to get there, he said, as well as go to restaurants and bars, much like Turner and the Privateers 1882 gang do.

With available space in the downtown in short supply, Wanderers Grounds is one of few — if any — options that fit the above criteria.