Darrell Davis: Avoiding the Canadian stadium jinx

With Mosaic Stadium poised to host a concert this month, followed soon after by CFL games, is anyone else worried about the Canadian stadium jinx?

Rogers Place in Edmonton was supposedly going to be a new hockey palace for the Edmonton Oilers until the lineups started forming for bathroom breaks. There aren’t enough washroom facilities for the masses!

In Winnipeg, it’s a horror story. Investors Group Field is four years old, but another $35 million in repairs are expected over the next two years to finish a money pit that had bad drainage, poor design concepts and cheap concrete. The Blue Bombers filed suits against the builders.

Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field has also led to lawsuits after engineering mistakes caused completion delays. Numerous structural deficiencies have been spotted, including cracked concrete, a speaker fell off its moorings and generators were needed to supply power during Tiger-Cats games.

Lawsuits swarmed around the contractors over unpaid bills at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa.

Everyone involved with Mosaic Stadium insists no corners were cut and all payments have been made. There may be only minor problems that will be easy to work out. Fingers crossed.