The B.C. Lions are ready to reclaim BC Place stadium as their new home.
The players set foot for the first time Thursday at the newly decked-out stadium and they can’t wait to experience all the bells and whistles of the $ 563-million makeover when they play against the Edmonton Eskimos Friday.
David Podmore, chair of PavCO, promises the public will be overwhelmed by the rebirth of the stadium.
“I think the public when they see it (today) are going to be really taken aback with the quality of the building and the environment that we’ve been able to create here. It’s bright and lively,” he said Thursday. “I think most people will be standing staring up to the sky marvelling at what we’ve been able to do with the retractable roof structure.”
Coach Wally Buono said the new stadium made a very good first impression on the Lions.
“The guys love the field,” he said. “The first thing they mentioned is how good the field felt and how fast it felt.”
Halfback Ryan Phillips said the team is focused on continuing their five-game winning streak and forget about the added pressure of winning the first game on the stadium’s opening.
“We’ve got to play 60 minutes and give the fans something to cheer about besides the stadium itself,” Phillips said.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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