Halifax takes over “pop-up” stadium

Community waits for a staff report on the future of a stadium at Wanderers Grounds

By Josh Healey

The Wanderers Grounds come alive from April to November.

Between the Halifax Wanderers and Halifax Tides (Atlantic Canada’s first professional women’s soccer club), thousands of Haligonians flock to the Wanderers Grounds every weekend. Some of the sport’s brightest stars like Christine Sinclair and, later this month, players like Jonathan David and Jacob Shaffelburg, will have graced the Grounds since it became Nova Scotia’s soccer hub.

Despite the success, there is doubt about the future of the grounds. The HFX Wanderers proposed the “pop-up” stadium to council eight years ago and their current lease runs until 2026. The Tides signed a deal that would take them to the end of the 2025 season. Now, both clubs are asking HRM for a proper stadium at the Wanderers Grounds—with real seating and basic amenities like flushing toilets and running water—to match the quality of the athletes on the pitch.