Tim Hortons Field serves as turning point for the Ticats’ pride

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Since arriving in 2011 to play for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, receiver Bakari Grant had heard the long-standing banter and seen the countless architects' renderings of what the team's new stadium might look like. But none of that did justice to Tim Hortons Field; nothing had prepared him for what it would feel like to finally set foot in a permanent home.

The Ticats played their emotional final game at Ivor Wynne Stadium in 2012, and then the building, which stood at the corner of Balsam and Beechwood Avenues since 1928, was levelled, and construction began on a modern new one in its spot. The Tiger-Cats played home games on the university campuses of Guelph and McMaster during the construction, which stretched well beyond the originally projected June, 2014, opening.

A struggling 1-6 Ticats team finally opened Tim Hortons Field on Labour Day, and Grant scored the team's first touchdown there, as a victory over the rival Toronto Argonauts marked the start of a shift for the Cats. Belief was sprouting in the power of this rollicking new homestead.

That first victory coincided with the return of their new starting quarterback, Zach Collaros, who had been out with a concussion, and the Ticats went on to win all six games this season played in its new $145.7-million house. Those home victories came against six different opponents en route to winning the CFL's East Division with a 9-9 overall record. Every available seat was sold on each occasion. This Sunday, the team will play host to the East final for the first time since 1998. Since it opened, Hamilton's state-of-the-art new stadium, which had for so long been at the centre of political debates, logistical curveballs and construction delays, has become synonymous with winning and unity.

"I remember walking into that bowl for the first time, and it hit me how big it is, because it has a certain grandioso," Grant said. "Not all of the sections were open for our first few games there, but it never felt incomplete. Right away, the fans made it feel like home, like they were loud and passionate about being a great 13th man, and giving us the ultimate home-field advantage."

While the robust vibe of Ivor Wynne has carried over, its crumbling infrastructure is long gone. Ticats offensive linemen Mike Filer and Brian Simmons are among the few current players to have played in the old digs.

They recall walking under the stands, as water dripped from the ceilings, to the dingy and outdated weight room. Ivor Wynne's turf felt like thin old carpet. The locker room was small, and its shower room had unpredictable water temperatures and faulty taps. One exasperated lineman with some plumbing chops would often attempt repairs himself.

"It was breathtaking the first time we got to walk out on the new field," said Filer, a native of Brantford, Ont., who came to Ticats games as a kid and worked as a security guard at Ivor Wynne before he was drafted to the CFL in 2012.

"Coach Austin kept telling us how nice it would be and professional, and they really took care of us. The place is just beautiful."

Beyond its modern amenities, scenic views of the escarpment, great sightlines and social spaces, Tim Hortons Field has had a psychological effect on the team.

"We're really hard to beat at home – I think we play harder and people really want to see us play here, so the expectations on us are really high," Simmons said. "That's the city of Hamilton, and the kind of people that live here. They've waited a long time for this home."

For a long time, the majority of news about the venue was headlined by controversy or uncertainty. Fans, the team, the city, the province and Toronto 2015 Pan American Games organizers had varying opinions on where the stadium should go, how to fund it and whether to renovate the old or build from scratch. Then construction delays had the team anxiously awaiting an occupancy permit right up until the day before the Labour Day Classic.

"Some people weren't completely convinced about the location, but it feels like all of that has washed away now, and this new place is a unifying force," said Leo Ezerins, former Ticats linebacker and season-seat holder. "The team has showed the fans gratitude by winning every game in the building. I know several long-time season-ticket holders who weren't planning to renew their tickets, but they are now."

The new venue has provided good drama, like the Ticats' last game, an unlikely 15-point win over the Montreal Alouettes to not only escape elimination from the playoffs, but win the division.

The surrounding neighbourhoods, long affected by construction, are alive again with the usual game-day front porch parties, parking on lawns, and tailgating at nearby Scott Park.

"We would have lost so many of our familiar game-day experiences in that neighbourhood if we had moved," long-time Ticats fan David Cicci said. "The 13th man feels louder to me this year in the new stadium. We've had rain and cold this year, but the energy has still been amazing in there. There's rain in the forecast Sunday, but no one will mind."

Ongoing construction caused the late opening of some sections, but with the upper deck now operational, Sunday's game against Montreal will be the second in a row with a capacity crowd of over 24,000, as it sold out within days. The team has also seen dramatic growth in merchandise sales, corporate sponsorships and digital metrics.

"From the moment we got into Tim Hortons Field, it's been sellout after sellout," Ticats CEO Scott Mitchell said. "The demand to get into inside the stadium right now is incredible, probably the highest we've had in Hamilton in 30 years. Hamilton is a football city, and when you get a new stadium in place and the team is winning, it creates some magic in the community."