Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame asks for Taylor Field memorabilia

The Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame is asking the City of Regina to push for the donation of memorabilia from the old Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field.

With the demolition of the old stadium quickly approaching, the Hall of Fame submitted a request to the city for the donation of various memorabilia items that will be used in future displays to tell the story of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Football Club.

The Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame (SSHF) wants the CFO to be delegated to approve the donation and the report forwarded to the Sept. 25 city council meeting. The topic is set to be up for discussion at a finance committee meeting on Tuesday.

The Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1966 to honour Saskatchewan athletes and for the preservation of sport heritage in the province. It maintains more than 14,000 memorabilia items.

"The SSHF is looking to help preserve and protect items from the Stadium at Taylor Field as it has been a part of the sports culture within Saskatchewan for approximately 107 years," the report states.

"The SSHF will be utilizing the donated items in their displays to help educate visitors about the history and legacy that was held at the Stadium at Taylor Field.

"By donating these items, we are not only giving back to Regina as a community, but to the entire province."

The donation requires city council approval.

As the Saskatchewan Roughriders moved into the new Mosaic Stadium for this year's football season, everything that wasn't moved over was put up for sale through an online auction.

The city partnered with McDougall Auctions Ltd. to dispose of the stadium's assets over the summer. In total, more than 10,000 square metres of turf and 880 benches were diverted from the city landfill.

Proceeds of the sale are going toward the costs of decommissioning and demolishing the old stadium.

City begins stadium demolition

Regina is preparing to begin deconstruction of the old Mosaic Stadium later in the month of September.

It recently awarded the project contract to Budget Demolition, which will hold an open house at the site on Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. CST, to answer any questions residents may have.

"The demolition of a stadium is a once-in-a-generation experience in our city," said Mayor Michael Fougere in an emailed statement.  

"We are confident that the deconstruction plan will be implemented safely, respectful of the nearby residents and mindful of the environment thanks to its waste minimization strategy."

According to the city, everything above ground will be removed by December and the site restoration will be complete by spring of 2018.