Nat Bailey Stadium 75th Anniversary
The Prettiest Little Ballpark in North America, Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium, is marking its 75th anniversary this year with fun fan initiatives at every Tuesday home game for the Vancouver Canadians.
The longest-serving sports venue in Vancouver, it opened in 1951 as Capilano Stadium, replacing Athletic Park at 5th and Hemlock Street. The Nat has been the home of professional baseball in Vancouver ever since.
The 75th Anniversary logo was unveiled today, featuring the building’s iconic façade juxtaposed against the North Shore Mountains. That combination has long made The Nat – beautiful in its own right – a postcard-worthy sight for visitors from all over the world. It also marks the official beginning of what will be a multi-faceted campaign that showcases the ballpark’s history, the different teams that have called it home and, most importantly, the generations of fans who have made memories on Ontario Street across parts of two millennia.
“Modelled after a pillar-free baseball stadium in Hollywood, it was completed by the city following years of protests from Riley Park-area residents and the fire marshall. A crew cut the turf from Athletic Park and moved it to the new stadium. The Capilanos disbanded when the league collapsed in 1954, a victim of television. Baseball resumed in 1956 with the Vancouver Mounties, continuing until 1969 with a break in ’63 and ’64 due to the team’s bankruptcy.
The main supporter during those years was Nat Bailey, owner of the White Spot drive-in chain. Five days after he died, in 1978, the Park Board renamed the stadium for him. That year, with Molson’s Brewery sponsorship, baseball resumed with the Vancouver Canadians of the Pacific Coast League and continued until 1999; the current team, members of the Class A Short-Season League, have played at the stadium since 2000.”
“We are thrilled to celebrate The Nat’s 75th anniversary in 2026,” Canadians General Manager Allan Bailey said. “Serving as stewards of this historic ballpark is at the heart of our mission here at the C’s, and we can’t wait to both honour the history of this building and kick-start it’s next era with the completion of a multi-phase capital improvement project this year. Consider this my personal invitation to fans far and wide to join us for what will be a summer to remember.”
Season ticket and NatPacks are available now, with single game tickets set to release on February 21st.
More anniversary details will be released in the coming weeks, but fans will be treated to an eye-catching new on-field look, multiple one-of-a-kind promotions, and more surprises that pay tribute to the legacy and future of The Nat. Follow the Vancouver Canadians for updates.
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