Credit: St. Paul's High School Archive
Osborne Stadium was constructed at the corner of Osborne and Broadway (the current location of Canada Life). The location was chosen due to proximity to the Shea Amphitheatre.
Though there were other football fields, baseball diamonds, and hockey arenas in the city, this corner of Broadway became the center of Winnipeg athletics.
1931 - 1964
Credit: St. Paul's High School Archive
St. Paul's College relocated to the Ellice Avenue campus in 1931. The new campus offered considerable outdoor space for the school. This additional space allowed the new athletic director, Eddie Cass, to layout a rugby football field.
The field was a combination of hard-packed dirt and patches of grass. At opposite ends of the pitch stood combination goalposts to accommodate multiple sports. With limited space, many spectators stood along the sidelines to watch the matches.
During this time, many of the M.S.R.L. games took place at Osborne Stadium.
1931 - 1953
Credit: Yosh Tashiro (1949), Portage Collegiate Institute Archive
Osborne Stadium was constructed in 1932 for local soccer competition. It was adapted for rugby football and baseball games soon after.
The stadium became the meeting place for all rugby football matches in Winnipeg and was frequented by teams of the M.S.R.L. and the City League. Yet, it was poorly outfitted as a football stadium. The field was too short with ten-foot end zones, the seating was uncovered and open to the elements, and there were no accommodations for teams.
It was demolished in 1954 after the Blue Bombers relocated to Winnipeg Stadium.
1953 - 1979
Credit: Winnipeg Tribune 1957 - Courtesy of University of Manitoba Digital Collection
By the 1950s, Osborne Stadium had become an inadequate home for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and their fans. The team, with support from the City, relocated to Winnipeg Stadium. The new venue featured a regulation-sized field, expanded spectator seating, team changerooms, and room for expansion.
With the loss of their former field, the M.S.R.L. and City League were invited to play at the new stadium. This tradition continued through the 1970s with playoff games played on the Bomber field.
1964 - 1979
Credit: St. Paul's High School Archive
The inaugural season at St. Paul's High School, Tuxedo was played in 1964. Despite the recent construction of the football field, the athletic directors made several significant changes in the early years. These improvements included the installation of an irrigation system and tuning fork goal posts. With these changes, the field was widely regarded as the best field in the league.
1967 - 1979
Credit: University of Manitoba Archive
The Winnipeg Velodrome was constructed for the 1967 Pan Am Games. It was converted into a general sporting venue for the city after the events of summer '67. The football field occupied the green space between the cycling track. The venue became one of the main sites for WHSFL games.