Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium

Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium
The Nat
Former names	Capilano Stadium (1951-1978) Nat Bailey Stadium (1978-2010)
Location	4601 Ontario St., Vancouver, British Columbia
Broke ground	1951
Opened	July 15, 1951
Owner	City of Vancouver
Operator	City of Vancouver
Surface	Grass
Construction cost	$550,000 CAD
Capacity	5,157
Field dimensions	Left Field - 335 ft Center Field - 395 ft Right Field - 335 ft Backstop - 30 ft
Tenants
Vancouver Mounties (PCL) (1956-1969) Vancouver Canadians (PCL) (1978-1999) Vancouver Canadians (NWL) (2000-present) UBC Thunderbirds (NAIA) (2000-present)

Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium (known affectionately as "The Nat") is home to the Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League and also plays host to the University of British Columbia baseball team.

Stadium history

Nat Bailey's main grandstand

Originally built in 1951 as Capilano Stadium, it was renamed Nat Bailey Stadium in 1978 to honour the work of Vancouver restaurateur Nat Bailey and his tireless effort to promote baseball in Vancouver.

Nat Bailey Stadium is located on the eastern side of scenic Queen Elizabeth Park in the Riley Park-Little Mountain neighbourhood of Vancouver.

The stadium was home to the Vancouver Capilanos and later attracted the Oakland Oaks who played as the Vancouver Mounties of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League from 1956 until 1969. The PCL returned to Vancouver in 1978 with the Vancouver Canadians, who competed in the league until 2000 season, after which the team relocated to Sacramento, California. The following season, a second incarnation of the Canadians began playing in the short-season Class A Northwest League.

The stadium's capacity is 5,157. However, there have been over 7000 fans in attendance at games held on Canada Day. Over 7800 fans squeezed into the park for Game 4 of the 1994 Pacific Coast League Championship Series between the Canadians and the Albuquerque Dukes.

The Canadians ownership signed a long term lease at Nat Bailey Stadium in February 2007. They have significantly improved and modernized the stadium while also restoring parts of the park to their original 1951 condition.

Naming rights

On June 16, 2010, Scotiabank and the Vancouver Canadians announced a naming rights agreement that would rename Nat Bailey Stadium as "Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium".

Services

Free wireless Internet access is also available in the stands. Food services are operated by Aramark

External links

• Vancouver Canadians
• Friends of Nat Bailey Stadium, a group dedicated to preserving The Nat
• UBC Thunderbirds baseball
• News.com article about Nat Bailey's free Wi-Fi

Coordinates: 49°14′33″N 123°06′24″W / 49.242552°N 123.106764°W / 49.242552; -123.106764