Photo by Kaya Martin.
Before its demolition last summer, the Victoria High School stadium had been a beloved local hang-out spot. Neighbours would play catch with their dogs on the field or jog circles around the ring. The bleachers were west-facing, meaning they caught the afternoon sun, so they were a popular place for picnic dinners from nearby food trucks.
But the stadium was nowhere near perfect. Graffiti adorned the crumbling concrete. Beer cans and paper napkins littered seats, and the field had patches of grass missing. Created as a memorial to the school’s alumni who died in World War II, the stadium was a local landmark albeit a grimy one.