BC Place opens doors after massive reno

An iconic Vancouver landmark reopens Friday, Sept. 30, 2011 when the BC lions host the Edmonton Eskimos at the newly renovated BC Place stadium. (CTV/Murray Titus)

The newly-completed $563-million renovation of BC Place is set to be unveiled Friday night, as the public enters the stadium for the first time since the 2010 Olympics.

More than 40,000 BC Lions fans will get first look at the new digs, which include a new $500-million retractable roof. The roof is the largest cable-supported retractable roof in the world and is designed to hold tonnes of wet, heavy snow – meaning crews will no longer be forced to shovel snow off the fabric like they did with the old dome.

Along with a new roof and seats, the stadium was reinforced with thicker support columns and giant shock absorbers called seismic dampers which will be installed beneath the stadium to help it survive a large earthquake.

Crews worked late into Thursday night to have the stadium in tip-top shape for the BC Lions game when they faceoff against the Edmonton Eskimos. The last time the stadium was used was for the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Paralympic Games.

But the project is not without critics. Opposition New Democrats say they're wary of the province's claim that the renovations will pay for themselves, stating B.C. taxpayers have been "hoodwinked" into footing the massive bill.

In April, Vancouver City Council killed a massive casino proposal for the land beside BC Place. The money from the development was supposed to help ease the financial burden on taxpayers.