On December 5, Queen’s University hosted a ground breaking ceremony to officially mark the start of construction on the revitalized Richardson Stadium. Alumni, students and community members gathered to celebrate a new chapter in the history of Richardson Stadium and of Queen's athletics.

“We are incredibly grateful to our generous benefactors for making the dream of a revitalized Richardson Stadium a reality,” says Alan Harrison, Queen's University Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic). “Without this kind of leadership and philanthropic support, this project would not be possible.”

The revitalization project began with a lead gift of $10 million from Queen’s alumni Stu Lang, Sc’74, and Kim Lang, Artsci’76. The Richardson Foundation contributed an additional $5 million donation towards the project, with total donations exceeding $17 million. The university will invest an additional $3 million for infrastructure support of the stadium, bringing the total funding to $20.27 million.

“My wife and I met and spent four wonderful years at Queen’s. I personally experienced life-changing opportunities both on and off the field,” says Stu Lang. “The revitalization is about far more than just a new stadium. It is a key step in building a stronger varsity sports program for Queen’s and providing a better connection to the university. I’m proud to support this transformative initiative.”

Scheduled to open in time for the 2016 Gaels football season, the new Richardson Stadium will be amongst the top facilities of its kind in Ontario – with an artificial turf field, U-shaped seating arrangement, a state-of-the-art scoreboard and improved broadcast and webcast capability.

“I know our entire team is looking forward to taking the field next year in our new home,” says Curtis Carmichael, wide receiver for the Queen’s Gaels football team and recipient of the 2015 Russ Jackson Award. “The new Richardson Stadium will be a major point of pride for Queen’s, current and future Gaels and the Kingston community.”

During the fall the Gaels community was asked to provide feedback on three potential end zone designs for the revitalized Richardson Stadium. With over 5,000 votes cast, design B featuring a blue end-zone with Queen's in gold and tricolour swooshes on either side emerged as the clear fan favorite.

The Richardson Stadium revitalization project is a priority within Queen’s $500-million Initiative Campaign. It is the next step in the university’s efforts to enhance its athletics and recreation facilities to promote the health and wellness of all students. Other recent projects include the Athletics and Recreation Centre and the redevelopment of Tindall, Nixon, and Miklas-McCarney fields. For more information on the Richardson Stadium revitalization project, please visit the website.