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CanWest Global Park / Winnipeg Goldeyes

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Year Opened	1999
Capacity	6,266
Dimensions	325L, 400C, 325R
Last Visit	2006
Web Site	www.goldeyes.com
Online Broadcasts	Yes
Online Ticket Sales	Yes
Phone	204/982-2273
League	Northern League
Ticket Prices	Club, $14; Prime, $10; On-Deck, $8; Grand Slam, $5
Parking	There is plenty of paid and free parking adjacent to the ballpark.
Address/Directions	1 Portage Av. E., Winnipeg. CanWest Global Park is on the western edge of downtown Winnipeg. In general, you can follow the many signs directing you to the Forks, a popular gathering spot by the river at the edge of downtown Winnipeg..
Rating

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There's a certain type of ballpark currently in vogue in the minor leagues: a raised mezzanine packed with concession stands, with a grandstand sloping down to the playing field. There are many advantages to this layout: the mezzanine area can accommodate socializing and fans can hit the concession stands without missing any of the action. There are a host of new ballparks adopting this model, such as Newman Field in the minors and the BOB in the majors.

CanWest Global Park fits in that mold, with an expansive mezzanine level, skyboxes, and large gift shop. It benefits greatly from a prime location in an area that bridges downtown Winnipeg with the popular Forks area. But because CanWest Global Park was crammed into a small piece of real estate with some severe physical limitations due to an existing railroad track and the river, it is oriented slightly differently than the average ballpark. On a hot summer afternoon, the right-field seats become a rather intense sun field and it is due west between the pitcher's mound and home plate (normally it is southwest), so outfielders must contend with direct views into the sun on a sunny day. The good news is that you will roast in comfort: all 6,266 seats in the stadium have backs, arm rests, and beverage holders.

One unique feature of CanWest Global Park is the Batter's Eye, which is actually part of the outfield fence that features rotating panels with advertisements. The advertisements appear between innings, and they rotate back to dark green once play is resumed.

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Goldeyes games tend to be low-key events. There's not the frenetic level of shtick you find at other Northern League ballparks, and this is one of the only ballparks I've visited where the ushers (oops -- fan services representatives) are charged with rousing the crowd. Goldy the Goldeye -- who basically is a yellow Youpi (guess it must be mandatory for Canadian teams to have mascots resembling Youpi) -- is usually trailed by a pack of adoring kids. (In the photo above, the mascot is heckling Fargo-Moorhead manager Doug Simunic, who has a special dislike for the Goldeyes and Goldeye fans.)

Technically, the Goldeyes have averaged more fans per game than CanWest holds. In cases where games are sold out, an overflow crowd is allowed into the patio area down the first-base line. This is actually a pleasant place to watch a game as long as you snare one of the picnic tables.

(One disclaimer when you look at these photos: they were taken during a preseason exhibition game and the temperatures were in the upper 40s. They are not representative of the usual Goldeyes crowds.)

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Concessions
CanWest Global Park is a really a giant food court masquerading as a ballpark. I'd venture to say that on a square-foot basis this ballpark features the most number of concession stands of any minor-league ballpark.

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In fact, I can't imagine an appetite that can't be quenched by one of the many food stands at CanWest.

For starters, there is standard ballpark fare like hot dogs ($2.50), jumbo dogs ($3), smokie dogs ($3.50), hamburgers ($3.50), pork on a bun ($4), nachos ($4), corn dogs ($2.50) and fries ($2.75; gravy $.50 extra).

Past that, you can find almost anything at the ballpark, ranging from perogies to poutine. Here's a list of some of the concession stands in the concourse:

• Salisbury House ("Sal") stands, where you can grab a Nip

• Chicken Chef, where poutine (fries with gravy and cheese curds) runs you $3.75 and a three-piece chicken dinner costs $6.90

• Sinai Kosher dogs, costing $4 for a quarter-pound dog

• Boston Pizza ($3.95 a slice)

• Yorko's Ukrainian Kitchen, where cheese and potato perogies plates go for $5.50

• Slush Puppies

• World Market, featuring fresh fruit

• Those Big Soft Pretzels for $3

• Good Humor ice-cream treats

• Rocky Mountain Chocolate

On a cooler night, there is coffee and doughnuts available from the two Robin's Donuts stands.

Liquid refreshments include a variety of beers (Labatt Blue, Labatt Light, Bud, Goldeyes Gold, Moosehead) on tap ($4) and in the bottle ($3.50), shots of liquor, pop and juice.

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A more recent addition to CanWest Global Park is a restaurant and food court down the third-base line (shown in the right of the above photo). Hu's on First is an Asian fusion restaurant with its own entrance outside of the ballpark; patrons can sit either inside or on an outside deck with a limited view of the action. From the ballpark side, the food court features Arby's, Heaters Tex Mex, Port Orient and Taste of Sri Lanka. You can order your food and then bring it out to an adjoining picnic table on the patio deck.

History
Winnipeg was an original member of the Northern League in 1903 and competed in the various incarnations of the league through 1942, when the entire league shut down due to World War II. When the league relaunched in 1946, it did so without a Winnipeg team, which didn't field a team in the league again until 1954-64 and 1969. In 1970 Winnipeg was home to a AAA International League team, the Winnipeg Whips.

Winnipeg also fielded a team in the Class B Western Canada League, winning league championships in 1919 and 1921.

For the Kids
A playground is located down the third-base line.

Parking
There are six lots controlled by the Goldeyes adjacent to the ballpark; you'll obviously pay for the privilege.

If you don't want to pay for parking, you can try finding a parking spot on some adjacent streets or in one of the free lots at The Forks.

Before the Game
With the Goldeyes' move to downtown Winnipeg, you should be able to fill all your needs without leaving the general downtown area.

The Manitoba Museum (formerly the Museum of Man and Nature; 190 Rupert Av.; 204/988-0665) is one of the finest museums on the continent, showing how the Winnipeg area has changed from prehistoric times to the present. Highlights include the dinosaur displays (which the kids will love) and a re-creation of an area village at the turn of the century. You can also see cultural artifacts from the many ethnic groups that settled Winnipeg, including the Ukrainians and the Mennonites.

Two blocks north is the Manitoba Museum is Oseredok, the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre (184 Alexander Av. E.). Winnipeg is really a city of ethnic neighborhoods, and the Ukrainians play an important role in Winnipeg's past and present. At Oseredok, you'll find a museum, art gallery, library and archives, featuring displays of Ukrainian traditional folk costumes, embroidery, woodcarving, ceramics, pysanky (Easter eggs) and historical artifacts from the Ukraine and Canada. Oseredok's gift shop features Ukrainian folk crafts, books, prints and record albums.

The Forks District is a combination of shops, food market and restaurants, comprising 56 acres directly south of the ballpark. The district features a food market, several fast-food outlets and several full-service restaurants, including Sushi Train, Finn McCues, the Old Spaghetti Factor and Muddy Waters Smokehouse. The Johnston Terminal (formerly used as a rail warehouse) features more stores and a great tourist-information center. For the kids, the Manitoba Children's Museum is a great place to spend the afternoon; the Assiniboine Park Zoo, while a tad pricy, features a statue of Winnie the Pooh. For those who don't know the story, Winnie (short for Winnipeg) was an inspiration to Canadian soldiers in World War II.

Across the river from the Forks and downtown Winnipeg is St. Boniface, the French-speaking area of the city. Anyone interested in the history of Canada should visit the St. Boniface Cathedral (190 avenue de la Cathédrale). The Catholic Church first settled the area in 1818 with a mission church, following up with a basilica in 1908. The original basilica burned down in 1968, but the remaining walls have been incorporated into the new site. More noteworthy, perhaps, is that the graveyard includes the grave of Louis Riel, the rebel leader of the Métis and President of the Provisional Government that negotiated Manitoba's entry into confederation as a province. (If this means nothing to you, check out this Web site for more information.) Worth a visit is the St. Boniface Museum (494 Tache Av.; 204/237­4500), which is housed in the oldest building in Winnipeg (erected for the Grey Nuns in 1846). The displays shows what life was like on the prairie when settlers first appeared.

Shopping is also a fruitful activity in Winnipeg, particularly if you're from the United States and can take advantage of a good exchange rate. If you want to see what a grand old department store used to look like, meander through Hudson's Bay in downtown Winnipeg (450 Portage Av.). And Portage Place in downtown Winnipeg features some trendy stores and one of the great independent bookstores of Canada, McNally Robinson. Besides downtown Winnipeg, there are several good shopping malls in the city. St. Vital Centre on the south side of town features a Bay department store, a movie theatre, a large Chapters bookstore and an impressive food court. Polo Park (1485 Portage Av.) is the largest mall in the city.

After the Game
The downtown Exchange District features great bars, comedy clubs, and live music and is within walking distance of the ballpark. The center of the Exchange District is the Old Market Square at King and Albert streets and Bannatyne Avenue. Bailey's (185 Lombard Av.) has a tasty late-night appetizer menu -- have the French onion soup with a glass of Wisers Deluxe. The King's Head Pub (120 King St.) features a great selection of tap beer and east Indian food. If you're in search of a morning pick-me-up, try Mondragon Bookstore/Coffeehouse (91 Albert St.) or The Fyxx (93 1/2 Albert St.).

The other center for nightlife is Osborne Village, located directly south of downtown Winnipeg. While Osborne Village is now a little scruffy around the edges, it's still worth a visit. Carlos & Murphy's (129 Osborne St.) features cheap Mexican food and a crowded bar, while Toad in the Hole (112 Osborne St.) is an Irish bar with the occasional live band. Its sister, Toad on Main (172 Main St.), is located between the ballpark and the Fort Garry Hotel; the back patio is a great place to score a pint and reminisce about the old county.

Dining
Winnipeg is an excellent restaurant town, thanks to all the ethnic influences. Worth a drive is Alycia's (559 Cathedral Av. at McGregor Street, north of downtown in the Ukrainian district), featuring Ukrainian food like borscht, perogies and stuffed cabbage rolls; Edohei (355 Ellice Av.) for the sushi; and Sevala's (390a blvd Provencher, St Boniface), where Ukrainian perogies are the specialty; and Bistro Dansk (63 Sherbrook St.), where Danish specialties like frikadeller (fried meatballs) are on the menu.

Otherwise, your best bet is to pick an area and see what strikes your fancy. The Little Italy area on Corydon Avenue is still trendy after all these years; nab a sidewalk table at Cafe La Scala to see and be seen. The aforementioned Osborne Village features the trendy Fude (303-99 Osborne Street), where local delicacies like pickerel and bison ribs are on the menu; Wasabi Sushi (105-121 Osborne Street); Buccacino's (155 Osborne St.); and Vivere (3-433 River Av.).

If you're staying downtown, you can walk over to Restaurant Row, a two-block corridor between Main Street and Memorial Boulevard near the convention center. Recommended is the East India Company (349 York Avenue).

If you're looking for something more upscale, there's always the venerable Restaurant Dubrovnik (390 Assiniboine Av.), which is hailed as one of the better restaurants in Canada. Despite the name, the emphasis is on classic French cuisine.

For desserts, try Just Desserts Cafe (150 Provencher Blvd.) or Baked Expectations (161 Osborne St.).

Where to Stay
The restored Hotel Fort Garry (222 Broadway Av., 800/665-8088; $80-$100) in downtown Winnipeg (pictured at the right), a former railway hotel, hearkens to the days when train travel was an elegant pursuit and travelers expected grand lobbies and large rooms. It's a nice walk between the Fort Garry and the ballpark. The Sunday brunch in the Oval Room, included with a reservation, is spectacular, while the Palm Room is a sedate place to catch a drink. Similarly upscale and affordable on weekends is The Fairmont Winnipeg (2 Lombard Place, 204/957-1350), is within walking distance of the ballpark. I've stayed in both places: the Fairmont is geared mostly toward businesses travelers and families. If you have kids, go to the Fairmont: the new top-level pool is classy, and the staff is top-notch.

New in 2004 is the Inn at the Forks, which is also within walking distance.

There are other downtown hotels within walking distance. The downtown Radisson (288 Portage Av.) is marketed toward both business travelers and weekend family excursions. Families will also want to look at Place Louis Riel All-Suite Hotel (190 Smith St., 204/947-6961), where $55 gets you a one-bedroom suite with a kitchen and a small dining room.

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