Article content

As much as Brendon LaBatte enjoys the plush surroundings at Mosaic Stadium, he will always have a soft spot for old Taylor Field.

It was there that the Weyburn-born LaBatte, a sixth-year member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, developed many of the skills that have allowed him to become one of the CFL’s premier offensive linemen.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Brendon LaBatte will miss ol' Taylor Field Back to video

With that in mind, LaBatte is sentimental about the demolition of Taylor Field, a process that will include Friday’s controlled collapse of the west-side grandstand.

“It’s definitely a piece of history that’s getting demolished over there,” says LaBatte, who played at Taylor Field with the Weyburn Eagles and University of Regina Rams before becoming a CFLer with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2008.

“I just think back to my own personal story with playing football, when we used to ride the bus up in high school to come to Regina and play in the 3A league. Then I was fortunate enough to play college there, and probably the pinnacle being the Grey Cup championship in 2013.