Having undergone some major upgrades, Blue Cross Park closed out its 28th season in downtown Winnipeg looking better than ever.
By Tom Thiessen
I
f you were a baseball fan visiting Blue Cross Park in downtown Winnipeg this past summer, you likely couldn’t help but marvel at how ‘new’ the place still looks. That speaks to the commitment of the Winnipeg Goldeyes Baseball Club’s ownership and staff, who’ve taken great strides to maintain and improve the facility for nearly three decades.
“One of the biggest differences of owning your own facility, as opposed to operating in a city-run one, is that you’re in charge of the upgrades and maintenance,” says Goldeyes COO Regan Katz. “That’s actually a benefit. It means you can ensure that a facility doesn’t look its age when it shouldn’t.
“Even though the ballpark is 27 years old now, it’s important to us that it doesn’t show it.”
Indeed, the baseball stadium remains a gem of both downtown Winnipeg and the 12-team American Association, and a popular draw. During its final regular season homestand, the Goldeyes welcomed more than 20,000 fans, all of whom were treated to both an excellent on-field product, and the club’s renowned hospitality. Concessions were hopping, patios were full, and fans went home happy as the playoff-bound Goldeyes closed with a series win over the visiting Lake Country Dockhounds.
Blue Cross Park (renamed in 2023) was built in time to host the 1999 Pan Am Games, with Katz joining the organization one year prior. He’s been around long enough to witness the ballpark’s construction, a significant expansion (in 2003), multiple renovations and also evolving fan expectations during his tenure.
Those changing consumer tastes and habits have influenced many of the upgrades, which were on display this past summer.
“It’s been really important for us to modernize and keep up with the times,” says Katz. “For example, there’s been less desire over the years for groups and gatherings to want to just sit in the stands in a long row. A lot of people don’t socialize that way anymore. So, ‘more patios’ has been a mantra for us. We added two on the right field side almost a decade ago.”
The patios have been packed all season, and were certainly buzzing with activity on closing weekend. Likewise for the Craft Beer Corner down the third base line. That section, added in 2018, proved so popular that the club opted to tack on additional patio levels prior to last season.
“Those have really proven to be great improvements to the park,” says Katz. It’s phenomenal viewing space, and it also gives groups of 60 to 100 people the opportunity to socialize, mingle, wander, and enjoy the great experience of Goldeyes Baseball.
“The original Craft Beer Corner and the two patios removed 800 seats from the stands, but in turn created patio space for 250 people total,” he says, which still left 6,700 fixed seats for fans. Katz says that eighty percent of the ballpark’s original seats – which were “starting to show their age” – have gradually been replaced with a custom-made product better able to withstand the Manitoba climate.
Scoreboard, LED Lighting and More
Blue Cross Park’s giant scoreboard — measuring 54 ft. by 40 ft. and two seasons in — is still a wow factor for fans and visiting teams alike.
“When we introduced it, it was one of the largest single pane video boards in all of North America,” says Katz. “Five other clubs have outdone us now, but was a nice ‘title’ to have, at the time.
“We still have one of the largest video boards and it’s a massive part of the show. We do more with it every time we figure out how to introduce something new. And for our post-game movies on the video board, it’s a phenomenal HD screen and a perfect widescreen.”
The video board complements Blue Cross Park’s new LED lighting installation, introduced for the start of the 2026 season. In addition to the obvious cost savings, Katz says sports fans are coming to expect more from their game-day experience, and the new lighting system helps the Goldeyes deliver.
“Everybody still loves fireworks,” says Katz, “but drone shows and light shows are the next wave, and people are really embracing them. So, we decided to go with the top-of-the-line LED lights with colour.
“Now, when there’s a home run, we can make them dance. If there’s a moment to celebrate, as well as after every win, we’ll put up colours. And at the same time, we can get into themes. On Canada Day, we lit up red and whites. For Pride, we’ve got a rainbow glowing. The colours really allow us to enhance the show.”
In addition to technological trends, Katz also points out a noticeable transportation one, which has been encouraging.
“More and more people are biking. Last year, we had bike parking for 120, and it was full at more than half of our games. We added this new bike area and can house over 350 bikes. And it’s been full for more than 20% of our games.”
Bike ridership in Winnipeg is clearly a growing trend, says Katz, acknowledging the City of Winnipeg’s ongoing efforts to improve bike routes and rider safety. The ballpark’s expanded bike area also boasts improved lighting and solid new racks; security personnel also patrol the area during games, to provide extra peace of mind to cyclists in attendance.
Supporting Local(and fellow BOMA members too)
Supporting local businesses has long been a key feature of the Goldeyes game-day experience, and it was on full display for the closing homestand. The ballpark’s newest food vendor — Sol Bistro, a locally owned Asian-fusion caterer — capably handled its own lineups on the busy concourse, as did fellow concessionaries Bodegoes, Nacho Taco, and Dexter’s Mini Donuts, to name a few.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on variety,” says Katz. “And in 2017, we really started to focus on ‘Love Local’ and try to get as many local vendors as we could. We’re very proud that everything is Manitoba-owned, Manitoba-operated.”
The staples at Craft Beer Corner include local breweries Trans Canada Brewing Co., Fort Garry Brewing, Little Brown Jug Brewing Co., and Kilter Brewing Co. The Corner also features a rotating tap, which is offered to smaller local taprooms and craft breweries each homestand. “So that gives another twelve opportunities for the smaller local crafts to come in and showcase a couple of beers for six to eight games,” says Katz. “Manitobans have always been great at supporting the different varieties. And we want to make sure we have them all here.”
Goldeyes ownership took another opportunity to support local businesses during its recent skysuite flooring refurbishment project. Carpet in each suite was replaced
last year, and this season featured a full replacement of the flooring in the suite-level hallways and common areas.
Local flooring supplier — and fellow BOMA member — Umina Flooring Solutions was brought on board and installed a decorative epoxy flake flooring system using product supplied by another Manitoba-based company, EcoPoxy. The result was a “durable, attractive, and easy-to-maintain flooring solution,” according to Umina Flooring’s owner Priscila Calderon, and one that was suitable for high traffic areas like Blue Cross Park’s suite level.
Calderon says that the flooring project covered 13,000 sq. ft., and was completed in two phases. She maintains that her company also understood how important it was to Goldeyes ownership to balance system performance — i.e. slip resistance and ease of maintenance — with an attractive finished product.
The difference in brightness and aesthetics at suite level is striking and Katz, for one, has nothing but praise for Calderon and her company. “They came in and understood that we wanted something classy but functional. And we couldn’t be happier.”
Ballpark upgrades aside, the Goldeyes organization and its fans had plenty of reasons to be happy in 2026. Bouncing back from a mediocre first half, the team rallied in July and August, setting a franchise record 13-game win streak, ultimately securing a spot in the American Association playoffs.
What’s the next big project planned for Blue Cross Park? “Safety netting, foul pole to foul pole”, says Katz. All told, that’s in the neighbourhood of 21,000 sq. ft. of new netting, to be produced and installed in time for 2027.
As larger groups continue to gather and socialize throughout the ballpark, the Goldeyes are fully committed to balancing fan safety with an enjoyable game-day experience.