Toronto sports fans are rallying to bring back the long-lost SkyDome brand, or rather, the ballpark many stubbornly refuse to call the Rogers Centre. There is a renewed push to reclaim the stadium’s original identity amid the Toronto Blue Jays’ historic run to the 2025 World Series.
Toronto residents have created several petitions over the years, calling for the venue to revert to the SkyDome. Campaigns to reclaim the stadium name seem to pop up every time the Jays are in the spotlight, one example being a 2015 campaign to “Give us back our SkyDome,” coinciding with another Jays postseason run.
A seemingly widespread desire to return the dome to its roots has even received a major celebrity endorsement.
Renowned Scarborough-born singer, Abel Tesfaye, more commonly known by his stage name, The Weeknd, publicly called for the change back in July, when the Toronto Star quoted him as saying, “Can we start a petition? Is there any way to call this place the SkyDome again?” This statement was indeed followed by another petition.
It’s been over two decades since the Rogers Centre was known as the SkyDome.
Telecom giant Rogers Communications purchased the building in 2004, in a deal that still feels like highway robbery decades later; the company paid just $25 million, a fraction of what the dome cost to build back in the late 1980s.
Soon after, the company renamed the facility to the current Rogers Centre name, a decision that spread unrest among those loyal to the SkyDome branding as an important part of the city’s identity.
The Rogers Centre has undergone major transformations over the decades since it was renamed, and a recent $400 million modernization project revamped the aging ballpark’s layout and fan experience.
Despite these modernizations and the millions of dollars Rogers has invested in rebuilding the stadium in its own image, for many Toronto residents, the stadium will always be referred to as SkyDome.
With the Jays in a renewed spotlight, a recent Reddit thread emerged suggesting that fans could convince Google Maps to add “formerly known as SkyDome” to the stadium’s official name.
The post sparked plenty of conversation among those who still hold strong opinions about the SkyDome name.
One user put their very adamant stance forward, saying, “I’ve never once called it anything but SkyDome…. and that’s never going to change either. If there’s a petition to get Google Maps to append it, I’ll sign it.” Another wants the name restored and the Rogers frills removed.
Though many are rallying to append the name, one user did note that “It’s been Rogers Centre for longer than it was SkyDome.”
As this persistent battle continues, it’s safe to say that for longtime residents, the push is less about rejecting corporate branding and more about honouring a piece of the city’s past.
Toronto is just not ready to let go of the SkyDome.
