Maple Leaf Stadium was a jewel box-style baseball stadium in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada, located at the foot of Bathurst Street on the south side of

Lake Shore Boulevard Lake Shore Boulevard (often incorrectly compounded as Lakeshore Boulevard) is a major arterial road running along more than half of the Lake Ontario waterfront in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Prior to 1998, two segments of Lake Shore ...

(formerly Fleet Street). It was built in 1926 by Lol Solman for his

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Divi ...

baseball team of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ( ...

. Previously, the Maple Leafs had played at

Hanlan's Point Stadium Hanlan's Point Stadium was a baseball stadium and lacrosse grounds in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was erected in 1897 at Hanlan's Point on the Toronto Islands for the minor league Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club. It was destroyed by fire ...

. It continued to be the home of the Leafs for 42 seasons, until the team left town following the 1967 season. The stadium was demolished in 1968. Fans often referred to the stadium as the "Fleet Street Flats".

History

In 1925, the Maple Leafs acquired land at the foot of Bathurst Street on new land that had been in-filled from the lake by the

Toronto Harbour Commission The Toronto Harbour Commission (THC) was a joint federal-municipal government agency based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The agency managed Toronto Harbour as well as being responsible for major works along the Toronto waterfront. It built both ...

. Maple Leaf Stadium was designed by architects Chapman, Oxley and Bishop. Initial plans were for a 30,000 seat venue for baseball, football, and other sports. Construction was financed by the team and the Commission was to own the stadium. Construction was initially budgeted at $300,000 but was completed for $750,000. The opening game was held on April 29, 1926, with the Maple Leafs rallying to defeat the Reading Keystones in extra innings before a rain-soaked crowd of 12,781. Toronto mayor Thomas Foster threw out the first pitch, caught by former mayor Thomas Church. Games were held only during the day until 1934 when lights for night games were installed. In 1951, the Maple Leafs were sold to

Jack Kent Cooke Jack Kent Cooke (October 25, 1912 – April 6, 1997) was a Canadian-American businessman in broadcasting and professional sports. Starting in sales, Cooke was very successful, eventually becoming a partner in a network of radio stations and news ...

. Cooke spent $57,000 to refurbish the stadium. During the 1950s, attendance at games surged as Cooke promoted the games heavily on his radio station, CKEY, and the team gave away prizes to attendees. Twice, the team had better attendance than major-league teams. On November 8, 1926, Maple Leaf Stadium was the site of the first professional

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...

game to be played outside the United States, a 28-0 victory for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...

over the

Los Angeles Wildcats Los Angeles Wildcats is a name shared by several American football teams from Los Angeles: * Los Angeles Wildcats (AFL), a team that played in the American Football League of 1926 * Los Angeles Wildcats (Minor League AFL), a team that played in the ...

, both of the first American Football League. Estimated attendance for the game was 10,000. The Toronto Rifles of the

Continental Football League The Continental Football League (COFL) was a professional American football minor league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to beco ...

played at the venue for their first season in 1965. In the early 1960s, Cooke tried to persuade Toronto city council a new stadium was needed to attract a major league team, though the

City of Toronto government The municipal government of Toronto ( incorporated as the City of Toronto) is the local government responsible for administering the city of Toronto in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its structure and powers are set out in the '' City of Toro ...

was unwilling to shoulder the costs. Cooke, who had moved to the United States in 1960, sold the Maple Leafs in 1964. The Maple Leafs were sold again in 1967 and transferred to

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana borde ...

. By that time, the stadium was estimated to need $250,000 worth of repairs. The final home game, on September 4, 1967, drew a paid attendance of 802. After the Maple Leafs left, the stadium was considered to be a safety hazard and demolition began within a few months into 1968. The site is currently occupied by apartment buildings. The adjacent Little Norway Park includes a ball field.

International League Governors' Cup Finals at Maple Leaf Stadium

Junior World Series The Junior World Series was a postseason championship series between champions of two of the three highest minor league baseball leagues modeled on the World Series of Major League Baseball. It was called the Little World Series (no relation to ...
at Maple Leaf Stadium

Photo gallery

File:Maple Leaf Stadium Design.jpg, Original Design File:Baseball action at Maple Leaf Stadium stadium, c.1960.jpg, Third Base Line - 1960 File:Maple Leaf Stadium Toronto circa 1908.JPG, Post Card

References

External links

Photos of Maple Leaf Stadium
{{coord, 43, 38, 06.94, N, 79, 24, 00.80, W, type:landmark, display=title Defunct baseball venues in Canada Defunct sports venues in Toronto Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) Chapman and Oxley buildings Sports venues completed in 1926 Sports venues demolished in 1968 Defunct minor league baseball venues 1926 establishments in Ontario 1967 disestablishments in Ontario American football venues in Canada Defunct sports venues in Canada Demolished buildings and structures in Ontario Demolished sports venues