In an empty BMO Field, the only sounds are from the occasional wisps of cool wind off Lake Ontario whistling through folded-up seats, exploring vacant concourses, and gently rippling a tarp that covers the grass.

But if you listen closer, you can hear more; the stands still vibrate with the energy of the past. Echoes of the breathtaking highs of big wins and milestone moments still reverberate through the steel and concrete structure.

BMO Field is one of the country’s premier sports facilities, serving as Canada’s national soccer stadium, and as a venue for Major League Soccer and CFL football — but its roots are humble. It has grown and changed over the past two decades, along with the people who built it and the relationships that were forged.

“I basically grew up with this job,” says PCL Construction’s Ed Sceviour. He was a superintendent on the initial build in 2006 and 2007.

As the project was in the final stages, his personal life was in a tumultuous state. His pregnant wife had an emergency C-section due to complications, so she and the couple’s newborn son, Declan, had to spend several weeks in an intensive care unit. 

“I’d drive back to Oakville to be with her and my son in the evenings and come back to work the next day and do it all over again day after day. So it was quite stressful, just trying to manage everything.”

Sceviour didn’t tell many people about the difficulties his family was enduring at the time, but somehow, Toronto Football Club (Toronto FC) found out. Before they even officially began playing in the new stadium, the team presented Sceviour with a jersey, signed by coach Mo Johnson, for his newborn son.

Declan is now a healthy 19-year-old — the same age as BMO Field. And he still has the jersey.

“Yeah, he grew up as the stadium grew up, I suppose,” laughs Sceviour. “So I can look back on every part of this build, and there’s a memory there. Sometimes it makes me smile, and sometimes it makes me sad. It’s a mixed bag of emotions, but that’s life, isn’t it?”

In 2006, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) decided to build a stadium for the upcoming 2007 U-20 World Cup, and for its brand new soccer club, which started the same year as the first Canadian Major League Soccer team. 

The historic Exhibition Place was chosen as the site, and PCL Construction was selected as the design-builder after several years of working with MLSE and building the Air Canada Centre, which was later rebranded as Scotiabank Arena.

“It was a very high-profile project,” says Bruce Sonnenberg, now a regional vice president for PCL. At the time, he was the construction manager for the build. 

Sonnenberg remembers the early challenges of dealing with an aggressive schedule and tight spaces. Exhibition Place hosted multiple events during construction, including the Canadian National Exhibition, and the project had to be ready in time for the international junior soccer tournament in June of 2007. On top of that, during excavation, Sonnenberg says unexpected remnants of the old, demolished Exhibition Stadium were discovered underground, adding to the complexity of the early groundwork.

“I knew at the end of the day, we would have to make sure we got it done on time and on budget,” says Sonnenberg, “And we accomplished all of that and had it ready for the U-20 World Cup.”

“Some deadlines are more real than others,” says Nick Eaves, COO of MLSE. “In our case, our deadlines involve bringing 19,000 people into an arena or 45,000 people into a stadium. To state the obvious, you can’t not be ready. You need to be adaptable and show some flexibility and creativity, and I think MLSE, working with PCL, have shown a capacity to do that.”

Geoff Howe also remembers the gravity of that initial build. Now PCL’s senior vice president and district manager for Toronto, Howe was a student estimator on the original project.

“It was a pretty exciting moment in Toronto’s history, and in my life as well,” says Howe. “Up until then, most of my education had been theoretical — mainly in two dimensions. So seeing everything come together in 3D was amazing. I think this facility really launched my career and cemented my love of construction and building with PCL.”

Over the last 19 years, more and more Ontarians and Canadians have embraced the game and the squad, prompting BMO Field itself to expand along with the team’s fanbase.

PCL was brought back on board for several renovations, including a second deck on the east side, and a massive three-piece canopy.

The east and west canopies were hoisted up and installed in sections.

The entire south canopy was assembled on the ground, then lifted into place.

“We call it a tandem lift,” says Sceviour. “That means two cranes are lifting the same load together. It was about 500 metric tonnes, so it was very challenging. It took a lot of engineering, communications, coordination and logistical planning.”

That renovation also marked BMO Field’s CFL debut, as the Toronto Argonauts moved in. The field would host the 104th Grey Cup in 2016, which the Ottawa Redblacks won, defeating the Calgary Stampeders in overtime.

“This place was going crazy,” says Sonnenberg.  “I still remember the halftime show, and the overtime win. It was just an awesome atmosphere.” 

“Every renovation has been about enhancing the experience for soccer fans, and more recently football fans,” says Eaves. “The 2014-2016 expansion brought the capacity up to just under 30,000, the standard for MLS and the CFL. We also added suites, a new club and a kitchen.”

With each renovation, a small soccer stadium — in a country known for its passion for a different sport — was turning into a world-class facility.

“It just keeps growing, almost like watching a child grow up,” says Howe. “I think there’s an interesting parallel there. The city has evolved and grown, we have all grown in our lives and careers, our relationship with MLSE has grown — and so has this venue.”

PCL has just completed the most recent renovations, which will further elevate the fan experience for MLS and CFL games, and prepares BMO Field for the world’s biggest soccer tournament. 

Among the updates in PCL’s scope: upgraded seating, a new VIP lounge, as well as new and refreshed suites. Enhancements to the in-game atmosphere include four new high-resolution LED videoboards, new lighting and a state-of-the-art sound system.

“The game presentation is just next-level now,” says Stephanie Jones, program lead for MLSE. “It’s like a brand-new stadium, with all this new venue technology. It’s a 360 feeling, so our fans, wherever they’re sitting, are going to have an unbelievable experience.”

As with each renovation, this one took many hours of planning, logistics and communication with MLSE and other stakeholders.

“Coordination is paramount in order to pull off something like this,” says Peter Olive, a senior construction manager. “In this case, there were multiple stakeholders, including the City of Toronto, Exhibition Place, and of course, MLSE. And the team here was always phenomenal. We had so many committed people who were also sports fans and who were engaged in and committed to working together and creating something amazing.”

Over two decades, the transformation of BMO Field has been a journey. While the stadium evolved, the relationship between MLSE and PCL has grown, matured and stood the test of time.

"PCL has been a proven partner and has helped us deliver complex projects, in many cases in the middle of an operating business,” says Eaves. “That's a different kind of construction. It's a different sort of project, and it requires a partner, more than just a constructor, to get to the most successful outcome. PCL has been that all along.”

“Great relationships start on trust,” says Howe. “And we have a pretty incredible track record of delivering exceptionally challenging, complex projects. When it gets tough, that’s where PCL shines. It’s all part of our goal to exceed our clients’ expectations.”

While schedule and budget certainty are critical, the relationship has grown to be much more: a partnership built on trust, dependability, mutual respect, a love of sport and a passion for constant improvement.

“PCL's teams have always been a part of something more than just the construction of the building,” says Jones. “I've seen everybody on their team pick up garbage for us pre-match, make sure the fence lines are straight, make sure everything is perfect before games. Not every company does that, but I've seen the folks from PCL do it because they're really proud of what they've built.”

Another key bond between PCL and MLSE has been a mutual understanding that’s also shared by fans: sports facilities aren’t just made of building materials; they have a beating heart. They are connection points for lifelong stories, relationships and growth.

“There's something special about stadiums, for sure,” says Sonnenberg. “When you're in here with the fans, the energy and excitement just elevate the experience.”

For Geoff Howe, BMO Field holds a memory that eclipses even the thrill of live sports. He brought a first date to a Toronto FC game in 2007. It would be the first of many, as that date became his wife.

“I’ll never forget that game, and I’ll never forget that moment,” says Howe with a grin. “That game basically became the start of a lifelong relationship professionally, and the start of my family.”

Whether you have built a sports venue, have met a special person in one, or have simply taken in a game, you have experienced something: the energy that feeds the human spirit. 

They’re the memories that stay with you. The stories you will tell your grandkids. 

And they happen here.

MLSE knows that. PCL feels it. Fans live for it. 

As the team that built the arena where the Maple Leafs and Raptors play, and the stadium the Argonauts and Toronto FC call home, PCL looks forward to the next two decades of partnership, pushing the envelope to deliver North America’s best sports experiences.