Dayus Stadium

From the Windsor Star May 4, 1948:

Dayus Stadium – Windsor’s New Sports Centre – Now Open
HARD BALL-SOFT BALL – WRESTLING – BOXING – MIDGET AUTO

The idea of a new floodlighted Stadium to provide a much needed centre for Windsor sports activities was born just six weeks ago. On Dominion Day, Dayus Stadium opened.

Original plans called for opening on June 15, but construction delays caused a postponement. The Stadium management wishes to apologize for this delay to those who have so eagerly awaited this milestone in Windsor sports development

Dayus Stadium is completely modern in every respect. It provides seating accommodation for 1200 spectators. It will be equipped with ample dressing and locker room space. A large free parking lot accommodates 450 automobiles.

Six lighting standards, with thirty-six 1500 watt bulbs, Will be installed to provide daylight illumination for night sports events.

Dayus Stadium, located on Howard Avenue south of the C. P. R. tracks, is conveniently located, being easily accessible by car or Howard Avenue bus.

Wrestling, boxing, and midget auto racing will be presented for Windsor sports fans, one night a week being reserved for each of these activities. Dayus Stadium will play host to hard ball and soft ball on the remaining days and nights each week.

By making use of latest developments in drainage systems, the Stadium will be able to hold any sports event within two hours following a rain.

The Stadium will be equipped for football and outdoor lacrosse in season, and during the winter, sufficient rinks will be flooded to meet demand for skating and hockey facilities.

Juvenile and Junior teams will be afforded free use of Stadium facilities every weekday afternoon from Monday to Friday.

The management of Dayus Stadium wishes to extend its thanks to Mayor Reaume of Windsor and the Reeve and Council of Sandwich West for their assistance in making possible construction of this much-needed centre for sports events.

Sports organizations are invited to make full use of Dayus Stadium facilities.
For further information, phone Lloyd Dayus at 4-7571

Designed by Windsor architect G.A. McElroy, the stadium was home to Windsor’s team in the Intercounty Baseball League. The franchise was lost around 1951, and Frank Dayus offered to put a track in his baseball stadium. The track was paved in 1954, and operated as a racetrack from 1951 to 1958.

Photo above from Canadian Racer

The area remains today, as an overgrown field behind factories and a strip mall. If you look closely, you can see remnants of the track in the aerial view.

There are some current photos of the track on John’s flickr page.