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In the beginning...
When Vancouver won the bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympics there was much joy in the city. But along with that jubilant attitude came concern over what might happen as construction began for some of the venues. One area of concern that came up was the re-development of the Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Park. A variety of sources were portraying the possibility that Nat Bailey Stadium could be demolished to make room for Olympic facilities.
In July of 2003, a few concerned citizens with a passion for Nat Bailey Stadium, met to discuss the status of the situation and see what could be done on a local level to preserve and refurbish the facility. The initial goal was to obtain Historical Landmark status for the stadium and The Friends of Nat Bailey Stadium (FONBS) was formed in November 2003. The inaugural meeting was held on August 17, 2004 with a handful of people in attendance and the process of saving the stadium had begun.
The FONBS knew they needed some assistance to accomplish their goal and set out to recruit a variety of community-focused individuals with expertise in media, politics, building consultation, fundraising, and members of the Vancouver Canadians baseball team. As word spread many others came on board and offered their support and eventually over 3,000 people signed a petition supporting the FONBS. Without the help of these dedicated individuals the stadium might not have been saved.
FONBS recognizes these individuals and thanks them for their determination and hard work in bringing the importance of the Nat to the attention of the public. A special thank you to the Vancouver Parks Board for their efforts in helping to save the stadium.
The Nat can rest assured that the stadium will continue to serve the public as the Best Little Ballpark in the World, at least for the next 25 years!
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