Welland Stadium

The exterior of Welland Stadium, Jul-2000.

A look at the seating bowl.

The view from behind home plate on an off day.

Chronological Tour: Stop 13

• Location: Niagara Avenue at Quaker Street, Welland, Ont.
• Opened: 1989
• Home team: Welland Pirates, New York-Penn League (1989-94); Welland Aquaducks, North Atlantic League (1995-96); Niagara Stars, Canadian Baseball League (2003)
• Capacity: 2,500

Rating: 2 baseballs

Built only in 1989, it was functional for the level it was on. All the seating was on benches rather than fold-down or bucket seats. There weren’t many concession stands, but the park didn’t need many. It was designed to work, and it was. It was always kept clean and maintained well, and it is to this day, as it hosts amateur tournaments such as those of the National Amateur Baseball Federation.

Along with Bernie Arbour Stadium in Hamilton and Community Park in St. Catharines, Welland Stadium found itself abandoned as the Ontario franchises in the New York-Penn League left the province for what they perceived as greener pastures in the States. A North Atlantic League team played there for two seasons, but folded when the league merged into the Northeast League. The field got another half-season of use by the Canadian Baseball League in 2003.