Investors Group Field no longer getting winter cover

Winnipegs new football stadium wont be getting a winter cover as originally planned.

On Tuesday, provincial officials confirmed Investors Group Field would not be getting a winter-use bubble.

The bubble was originally planned to be used by the Winnipeg Soccer Federation so they could play at the stadium during the winter months.

But, according to provincial officials, the federation had a number of concerns about the plan. They were worried the stadium would only be able to be used for a few months and would be difficult to maintain.

The group, along with the Manitoba Soccer Association, asked the province to reconsider the proposed bubble and instead put funding into an indoor soccer facility in North Winnipeg.

The federation would have been the primary tenant at the field if the bubble was installed, and so the province agreed to the request.

Now, the province is focusing on developing a 120,000 square foot centre with a price tag of about $19.1 million.

The North Winnipeg Soccer Complex is slightly larger than IGFs field, which is about 105,000 square feet.