Rob Ford Stadium

For the stadium in Victoria, BC, see Centennial Stadium. For the former stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, see Centennial Olympic Stadium.

Rob Ford Stadium (formerly Centennial Park Stadium) is a 2,200-seat stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is primarily used for soccer, track and field, football and occasionally for kabaddi.

Rob Ford Stadium

The stadium pictured in 2024
Rob Ford Stadium Location in Toronto Show map of Toronto Rob Ford Stadium Location in Ontario Show map of Ontario Rob Ford Stadium Location in Canada Show map of Canada
Former names	Centennial Park Stadium (1975–2024)
Location	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates	43°39′13″N 79°35′04″W
Owner	City of Toronto
Operator	Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation
Capacity	2,200
Surface	Artificial turf
Scoreboard	Yes
Construction
Built	1975
Opened	1975
Renovated	2009
Tenants
Serbian White Eagles (2006–present) FC Ukraine United (2006–present) Etobicoke Eagles (2009–present) GTA Grizzlies (2015–present) Toronto Supra Portuguese (2001–2007) Toronto Lynx (2002–2017) Toronto Lady Lynx (1997–2015) Toronto Atomic FC (2015–2017)

It is located within Centennial Park in Etobicoke, just south of Toronto Pearson International Airport and near the intersection of Rathburn Road and Renforth Drive. It was built in 1975.

The stadium has seating in a grandstand on the west side and a small scoreboard on the north end of the field. The stadium was renovated in 2009 with the installation of new seating and artificial turf.

Usage

• The stadium hosted the first edition of Veteran Athletes Championships in 1975.^[1]
• The stadium hosted the closing ceremony of the 1976 Summer Paralympics and some of the sporting events.
• The stadium hosted the CPSL/CSL Championship finals in 1998, 2010, 2011, and 2014.^[2][3][4][5]
• The stadium hosts the Relay For Life in Toronto West event each June, a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society.
• The stadium is also used for the ROPSSAA football finals and the PSAA (Private Schools Athletic Association) on the first Monday of May for an annual Track and Field Meet.

Name

The stadium was originally named for Centennial Park, which it is located in and opened during Canada's centennial year of 1967; the stadium was opened in 1975, eight years after the centennial.

In 2017, there were calls and support for the stadium to be renamed after former mayor Rob Ford^[6] as Rob Ford Memorial Stadium,^[7] but city council voted down the motion 11 to 24 on October 4, 2017.^[8] In 2023, amid the re-imagining of the park through the Centennial Park Master Plan that was also approved in 2021, city council again considered a motion to rename the stadium after Ford, this time passing 17 to 6.^[9][10]

The stadium was officially renamed Rob Ford Stadium on May 28, 2024.^[11] The first game played on the re-named stadium was a Canadian Soccer League encounter between Serbian White Eagles FC and Spanish Future Stars on May 31, 2024.^[12]