Celebrating the Stadium
75th Anniversary Plans are Set
By Patricia Forrest
There’s excitement in the air as the home of the Thunder Bay Border Cats, Port Arthur Stadium, prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary this July 14. That kind of enthusiasm is nothing new for the iconic facility though, as it has hosted a long list of celebrated sporting and cultural events and other festivities over the decades.
Its opening got off to a slow start, however. A group of local businessmen pitched the idea of a new sports park in the late 1930s, but plans were shelved by World War II and were further delayed by subsequent shortages of steel. The official opening ceremonies and a game between the Port Arthur All-Stars and a touring team from New York, the Bengals, took place on Monday, July 16, 1951. This was actually the first game ever played in the new stadium, as the opening game scheduled for July 14 between the local Port Arthur Red Sox and Giants had to be postponed due to weather. It was said to be a sell-out crowd that poured into the imposing new facility. So enthusiastic were the fans that they didn’t seem to mind that the home team was skunked, falling to the Bengals 7-0.
Port Arthur Stadium opening July 1951
And so began the storied history of Port Arthur Stadium, one that still fills residents and the teams of the Northwoods League with pride, says Border Cats vice president and general manager Bryan Graham. “Leading up to the stadium’s 75th anniversary, there is so much to celebrate. The only Canadian team in the Northwoods League, the Border Cats have captured two league titles and have sent 15 players to the major leagues, since the team’s inception in 2003,” he says. “The franchise has also been instrumental in the resurgence of baseball in the community and the region.”
Graham says that the opening ceremonies are intended to celebrate the facility and all the events that have taken place over the past 75 years in the stadium, representing the teams and athletes who have played there over the years, including baseball, football, and soccer teams. Even Canadian music icon Tom Cochrane performed at the stadium in the 1980s. The ballpark also hosted independent professional baseball in the 1990s, with one of the highlights being a legendary home run off the bat of former MLB star Darryl Strawberry against the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks.
“We have a unique facility, and it deserves to be saluted. It’s the only minor league park between Toronto and Winnipeg that can host these types of events. It has become both a tourist attraction and a summer ‘night on the town’ spot for residents,” he says.
The Port Arthur Stadium 75th anniversary opening ceremonies will get underway on July 14 at 6:30 pm, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm as the Border Cats take on the La Crosse Loggers from Wisconsin. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display. The first 250 attendees will receive a free commemorative t-shirt.
Tickets can be purchased online, or at the stadium box office. Visit northwoodsleague.com/thunder-bay-border-cats for more info.
