Capilano Stadium Opening 195, sil., B&W

Opening of Sicks' Capilano Stadium Vancouver, BC, June 15, 1951. On opening day the Capilano (Vancouver) baseball team beat the team from Salem Ore. 10-3. The stadium is now known as Nat Bailey Stadium, home of the Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League.
According to the Vancouver Heritage Foundation: “The Nat,” officially known as Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium, has been the home of professional baseball in Vancouver since 1951. Named Capilano Stadium when it opened, it replaced the old Capilano Stadium, originally known as Athletic Park, at 5th and Hemlock Street. Modelled after a pillar-free baseball stadium in Hollywood, it was completed by the city following years of protests from Riley Park-area residents and the fire marshall. A crew cut the turf from Athletic Park and moved it to the new stadium. The Capilanos disbanded when the league collapsed in 1954, a victim of television. Baseball resumed in 1956 with the Vancouver Mounties, continuing until 1969 with a break in ’63 and ’64 due to the team’s bankruptcy.

[@r.crompton2286]

The stadium had a much larger seating capacity through to the end of AAA ball. Then the bleachers along the left and right field foul lines went all the way to the outfield fence. Attendance of 6,000 was normal. I remember on one occasion in the late '50's when the Mounties were challenging for the pennant, a few hundred folding wooden chairs were placed along the base of the outfield wall to permit an overflow of fans to attend. There were close to 10,000 fans on that day. When The Canadians began playing in the the Northwest League Class A ball, the fan base developed well but, of course, they don't get the same number of fans today. as they did in the Mounties' halcyon days.

[@michaelb9529]

Great memories. All the kids in the trees at QE park behind the outfield. Capilano was named after Capilano Beer (long gone). The it was changed when the Canadians (AAA) came in the 70s to Nat Bailey-owner of the famous white spot restaurants. Then Scotia field. The AAA team moved to iirc Sacramento. We now have single A. Considered one of the most beautiful little baseball parks in the world.....at least until they built a rec center just down the 1st base line.
Back in the late 70s through the 80s if you had to pay full price you were doing something wrong.
I also remember the first few of their (in)famous noon games. The sport pages from the newspapers would be taking shots and everyone would have their program in front of their face...skipped work.