Development The owners of
Canad Inns, a Winnipeg-based hotel business and naming rights holder for the
Blue Bombers' former stadium, forwarded a plan in 2007 to redevelop the entire site for commercial use and construct a football stadium for the Blue Bombers in another location. This proposal, although rejected in favour of
David Asper's plan, called for a $265 million stadium at the former Public Markets site in the St. Boniface industrial park, which Canad Inns purchased from the city. The domed stadium would have been part of a $500 million complex that would have included a four-star hotel and an indoor water park. David Asper's original proposal involved both
federal and
provincial government financial contributions ($40 million each), as well as a transfer of assets (the publicly owned Blue Bomber franchise itself will be transferred into Asper's control, and the existing undeveloped commercial real estate surrounding the stadium). As part of Creswin's commitment to the project, Asper pledged to contribute $65 million toward the Maroons Road development. In addition to stadium construction, the Asper proposal included of retail development and a two-level parking facility. The Blue Bombers' board of directors investigated the possibility of rebuilding or substantially upgrading the existing stadium, largely with funds generated from the sale or lease of the adjacent commercial lands (the team holds the right to develop this property itself as part of its refinancing agreement with the city of Winnipeg and province of Manitoba). However, being a community owned business, the Bombers organization would have had difficulty in accessing the capital required to move forward with such plans directly. The board placed its plans on hold pending the outcome of Asper's proposal. The government was unwilling to grant Asper the $40 million at both the provincial and federal levels because it believed the money to be more of a gift than a grant. Creswin drew up a second proposal, where the same 30,000–40,000-seat stadium would be built instead in south Point Douglas. This new plan, they said, would greatly aid in urban renewal in what is the poorest neighborhood in Winnipeg. There was also a state-of-the-art water park and hotel, commercial buildings and several other new buildings in the multimillion-dollar proposal. However, there was controversy as well because south Point Douglas is an avid art community, and many of the residents did not want their character buildings to be destroyed or suffer the loss of their homes. A letter of intent was signed on September 13, 2009, between Asper's Creswin Properties and the University of Manitoba, allowing planning to continue for a stadium at the intersection of Chancellor Matheson Drive and University Crescent. The site is adjacent to the current
University Stadium, which was built for the 1967 Pan American Games. The new proposal includes the construction of a 33,422-seat stadium, renovation of the existing stadium, and a world-class fitness facility. Inflatable "bubbles" covering the playing field were also proposed for both stadiums during the winter months. The cost of the new stadium, was projected to be $115 million. The new stadium would also be home of the
University of Manitoba Bisons football team. The design allows for expansion to 40,000 seats for the
Grey Cup (however for the
2015 Grey Cup 36,500 seats were available). The stadium was approved on 2 April 2009. The province of Manitoba later agreed to loan David Asper $90 million in order to guarantee the project would break ground in 2010 and ensure the stadium would open for 2012. CFL Commissioner
Mark Cohon, Premier of Manitoba
Greg Selinger, David Asper, Mayor of Winnipeg
Sam Katz and U of M President David Barnard officially broke ground at the site on May 20, 2010. Asper and Creswin were removed from the deal as they made significant changes to the stadium design which broke the original contract. The revised cost amounted to $190 million, with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers paying back $85 million, and the provincial and city levels of government splitting the rest of the costs as previously proposed. The naming rights were awarded to Investors Group, the leading subsidiary of Winnipeg-based
IGM Financial, branding it as Investors Group Field. After the corporate rebranding of Investors Group as IG Wealth Management, the name of the stadium was shortened to IG Field in 2018. In January 2024, the team announced a 10-year naming rights agreement with Winnipeg-based auto parts chain
Princess Auto beginning in April 2024, renaming it Princess Auto Stadium. The stadium also underwent a $2 million refurbishment ahead of the 2024 Blue Bombers season and in preparation for the
112th Grey Cup, including replacing its original
FieldTurf Revolution playing surface with FieldTurf Vertex.
Controversy The new stadium was expected to be ready for the start of the 2012 season. However, on May 2, 2012, the Blue Bombers announced that because of construction delays, the stadium would not be ready until September, thus forcing the team to play four or five home games at
Canad Inns Stadium to start the season. In June 2012, it was announced the stadium would not open until the 2013 season. In December 2013, it was reported the previously announced inflatable dome had been dropped from the plans in 2012. In 2014, the builder, Stuart Olson Dominion, put a $1.9 million lien on the stadium because it claimed it was owed for some of the cost overruns. This dispute was resolved later that year, with the province contributing an additional $1.5 million to cover additional costs incurred during construction, bringing the total cost to $210 million. In the statement of claim, it cited water damage caused by insufficient drainage in the building, as well as inadequate insulation and "extensive" cracking in the concrete among a total of 42 deficiencies. On October 27, 2015, the government of Manitoba announced it would pay $35 million to repair the stadium. It would then seek compensation for this further outlay of money from the proceeds of the aforementioned lawsuit. ==Notable events==