Crews started taking apart the grandstand in Meadow Lake at 10 a.m. on Aug. 6. (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW staff)

By Nikita Ganovicheff

Goodbye Grandstand

Stampede Grounds grandstand demolition underway

Aug 6, 2019 | 11:29 AM

Demolition crews started to tare down the Stampede Grounds grandstand in Meadow Lake on August 6.

The demolition was originally scheduled in May but was delayed due to weather and was postponed several times.

Workers cut the grandstand in 8 foot pieces using chainsaws. (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW staff)

Acting Mayor Merlin Seymour said it is no longer economically viable to continue repairing the grandstand and the poor condition is a safety concern.

“It’s got to come down,” Seymour said.

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In order for the public to use the grandstand, it required an engineering assessment every two years. In 2017, city administration said it was no longer financially viable to continue repairing the structure and recommended it be closed to the public.

BEG4 Construction expects the grandstand to be completely taken apart in the next three days. (Nikita Ganovicheff/meadowlakeNOW staff)

Council made the decision to demolish the grandstand in the fall of 2018 during a budget meeting.

At a council meeting in May, lawmakers decided to keep the stampede grounds in its current location and have on-going discussions about building a standalone facility where the grandstand stood or a possible multi-use facility with an attached grandstand.

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nikita.ganovicheff@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @Nikitaganov