Saskatoon Arena

Last updated
Saskatoon Arena
The Barn
CCI20220312 0001.jpg
The demolition of Saskatoon Arena in 1989
Saskatoon Arena
Address115 19th St E
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Coordinates 52°07′26″N106°40′01″W / 52.124°N 106.667°W / 52.124; -106.667
OwnerSaskatoon Arena Limited (1937–1958)
City of Saskatoon (1958–1989)
TypeArena
Capacity 3,304
Construction
Broke groundSeptember 18, 1937
OpenedOctober 30, 1937
DemolishedMarch, 1989
Main contractorsR. J. Arrand Construction Co.
Dominion Bridge Company
Tenants
Saskatoon Quakers (1938–1972)
Saskatoon Blades (1964–1988)

Saskatoon Arena was an indoor arena located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which opened in October 1937, and which was demolished in March 1989. [1] The arena was situated in downtown Saskatoon, on a site overlooking the South Saskatchewan River. [2] It was the city's main entertainment venue for a half-century, before it was replaced in 1988 by Saskatchewan Place.

Contents

History

Saskatoon Arena was conceived as a replacement for the Crescent Rink, a small arena built in 1920 that was demolished in the early 1930s as part of the construction of the Broadway Bridge, a Depression-era relief work project that was completed in 1932. [3] [4] In 1936, a group of Saskatoon businessmen started lobbying and raising funds for the construction of a new artificial ice arena; the Depression presented a challenge to this vision, but the group formed an organization—Saskatoon Arena Limited (SAL)—to formalize its efforts and manage the project. [5] The arena group ultimately secured $13,000 in relief payments from the city and province and an additional $50,000 in public shares, which were sold for $0.10 each. [3] [5] The land purchase to build the arena involved a ten-year agreement to offer free skating and hockey for school children. [5]

Construction began in September 1937 and the arena opened on October 30, featuring a sold-out hockey game between the New York Rangers and New York Americans of the National Hockey League (NHL). [1] The new arena was "hailed as the only artificial ice surface between Winnipeg and Calgary". [6] SAL secretary Norman Couch, who had been working for the McDonald Tobacco Company, became the arena's manager. [7] SAL ran the facility until it was leased to the City of Saskatoon, beginning in 1956; the City purchased the arena from SAL in 1958, although Couch remained the arena's manager until he retired in 1962. [5] [8] The arena was home to the Saskatoon Quakers hockey team and, from 1964, to the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, who remained the building's primary tenants until it closed in 1988. [2] The arena was renowned for having exceptional ice quality. [9]

Nicknamed "The Barn" and also known as the "arena rink", Saskatoon Arena seated just over 3,300 but was known to hold as many as 7,000 with standing room for big events. [10] The arena hosted major events for half of a century, ranging from musical acts to wrestling matches. [3] The rink hosted two national men's curling championships, in 1946 and 1965, and one national women's curling championship, in 1972. The 1946 Macdonald Brier was opened by Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas and was the first to be broadcast nationally on CBC radio, while the 1965 edition set a new tournament attendance record. [11] The 1972 Macdonald Lassies Championship also set a new tournament attendance record and was won by Vera Pezer's Saskatoon rink, their second in a run of three consecutive national titles. [12] [13]

Even in its final decade, as the city debated replacing the aging facility, it continued to host major musical and traveling acts, including the Harlem Globetrotters. [14] However, the facility had outlived its usefulness by the 1970s and had become infamous for its leaky roof and substandard amenities. [9] [10] The city proved hesitant to lose the landmark and a number of years passed between the first proposal to replace the structure in the 1970s and its eventual closure in the late 1980s. [14] The situation was complicated when local sports promoter Bill Hunter instigated efforts to bring the NHL to Saskatoon, including a failed bid to purchase and relocate the St. Louis Blues in the early 1980s. [15] Hunter's efforts included plans to build a modern, 18,000 seat arena, which was considered too big for any available site in downtown Saskatoon. Public plebiscites ultimately rejected the construction of a new downtown arena, and approved construction of Saskatchewan Place in the city's North Industrial area. [3] [16]

The last hockey game at Saskatoon Arena was played on February 2, 1988—Saskatoon beat the Regina Pats 7–0 before a sold-out crowd. [10] The next week, Saskatchewan Place officially opened, becoming the new home of the Blades. [9] Saskatoon Arena was demolished in 1989. [1]

During the summer of 1989, the Arena site was transformed into an amphitheatre to host cultural events during the Canada Summer Games, which were hosted in Saskatoon. During this time, the city was considering a riverbank redevelopment project and it was thought that the Arena site could retain the amphitheatre. However, in 1992, city council decided instead to approve construction of Clinkskill Manor, a low-income retirement home, on the site. [6] The old arena site also became the location of an ironic piece of street naming. For many years, a Saunders Avenue provided access to Saskatchewan Place; but after the 2002 death of Hunter, the street was renamed Bill Hunter Avenue—even though Hunter was known to have opposed the location of Saskatchewan Place. The Saunders name was then transferred to Saunders Place, a street that provides access to Clinkskill Manor and runs through the former site of Saskatoon Arena.

Tenants

TeamLeagueYears
Saskatoon Quakers Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League; Western Canada Senior Hockey League; Pacific Coast Hockey League; Western Hockey League; Western Canada Senior Hockey League; Prairie Senior Hockey League 1938–42; 1945–56; 1958–72
Saskatoon Flyers Saskatchewan Military Hockey League 1942–45
Saskatoon Navy Saskatchewan Military Hockey League 1942–45
Saskatoon Junior Quakers Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League 1956–64
Saskatoon Blades Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League; Western Hockey League 1964–88

Major tournaments

EventSportYear
Macdonald Brier Curling 1946, 1965
Macdonald Lassies Championship Curling 1972

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saskatoon</span> Largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada

Saskatoon is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as the cultural and economic hub of central Saskatchewan since its founding in 1882 as a Temperance colony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Hunter (ice hockey)</span> Canadian ice hockey executive, coach and player

William Dickenson Hunter, was a Canadian sports promoter and ice hockey player, coach, manager, and investor. Also known as "Wild Bill", Hunter co-founded the Western Hockey League (WHL), helped to launch the World Hockey Association (WHA), and worked to bring professional hockey to Edmonton and to his hometown of Saskatoon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kindersley</span> Town in Saskatchewan, Canada

Kindersley is a town surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Kindersley No. 290 in west-central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located along Highway 7, a primary highway linking Calgary, Alberta and Saskatoon, at its junction with Highway 21. With a population of 4,567 in 2021, it is an established industrial base for the resource-rich west-central region of the province and a service centre to the oil and gas industry and agriculture production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SaskTel Centre</span> Multi-use indoor arena in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

SaskTel Centre is an arena located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The facility opened in February 1988 and is currently the home venue of the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, the Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, and the Saskatchewan Rush of the National Lacrosse League, with the arena being referred to as Co-op Field at SaskTel Centre during Rush games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Business District, Saskatoon</span> Neighbourhood in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

The Central Business District is one of seven development districts in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The central business district is Ward 6 of a Mayor-Council government represented by councillor Cynthia Block. Formerly called West Saskatoon, this area arose when the steam engines built their pumping stations on the lower west bank of the South Saskatchewan River. Retail enterprises sprang up around the newly created train station and rail yards. The city of Saskatoon's Central Business District has shopping malls and boutiques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Saskatchewan</span>

Sports in Saskatchewan consist of a wide variety of team and individual games, and include summer, winter, indoor, and outdoor games. Saskatchewan's cold winter climate has ensured the popularity of sports including its official sport, curling, as well as ice hockey, ice skating, and cross-country skiing. The province also has warm summers and popular summer sports include baseball, football, soccer, basketball, track and field, rodeo, horse-racing, and golf.

Vera Rose Pezer is a Canadian athlete and administrator. Pezer was the Chancellor of the University of Saskatchewan from 2007 to 2013. A sports enthusiast, Pezer is a Canadian softball champion, golfing contender, and curling champion. She has been inducted into both the Saskatchewan Sports Halls of Fame and the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame. In 2019, Pezer was named the ninth greatest Canadian curler in history in a TSN poll of broadcasters, reporters and top curlers.

Agriplace is an industrial park located in the North Industrial SDA Suburban Development Area of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Industrial parks are usually located close to transport facilities, especially where more than one transport modalities coincide. Sk Hwy 16, the Yellowhead, Sk Hwy 11, and Sk Hwy 11 are all accessed directly from Agriplace. The Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport is southwest of the Sk Hwy 16, the Yellowhead highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saskatchewan Scotties Tournament of Hearts</span>

The Viterra Saskatchewan Scotties Tournament of Hearts is the annual Saskatchewan provincial women's curling championship. The winning team represents Saskatchewan at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the national women's championship. The bonspiel is organized by CURLSASK, the provincial curling association.

Crescent Arena, also known as Crescent Rink and Saskatoon Arena, was an indoor arena in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

The College Clean Restoration Curling Classic is an annual bonspiel on the World Curling Tour. It is held annually in December at the Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutherland Curling Club</span> Curling club in Saskatoon, Canada

The Sutherland Curling Club is an historic curling club located in the Sutherland Industrial sector of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The club was established in 1910 in the village of Sutherland, which became part of Saskatoon in 1956. Today, the Sutherland is the oldest curling club in the city and one of three overall, alongside the Nutana Curling Club and the CN Curling Club.

The 1991 Scott Tournament of Hearts, the Canadian women's national curling championship, was held from February 23 to March 2, 1991 at Saskatchewan Place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The total attendance was a then-record 72,245, which more than doubled the previous mark set in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice hockey in Saskatchewan</span> Sports culture

Ice hockey is among the most popular sports in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, and the province has been notable for producing a large number of hockey figures in both men's and women's hockey. Saskatchewan does not currently have a professional hockey team of its own, but it is home to a large number of junior and senior hockey teams. The sport is governed in the province by Hockey Saskatchewan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nutana Curling Club</span>

The Nutana Curling Club is a curling club located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Established in 1929 and first opening its doors in 1930, the club was originally located in the city's historic Nutana neighbourhood. The club relocated to the south-central Nutana Suburban Centre neighbourhood in 1966. Once one of six curling clubs in Saskatoon, Nutana is one of three clubs still operating along with the Sutherland Curling Club and the CN Curling Club.

The 1973 Macdonald Lassies Championship, the Canadian women's curling championship was held February 26 to March 2 at the Charlottetown Curling Club in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The 1972 Macdonald Lassies Championship, the Canadian women's curling championship was held February 28 to March 2, 1972 at the Saskatoon Arena, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It was the first year the event was sponsored by Macdonald Tobacco, which was also the main sponsor of the Brier at the time, Canada's men's curling championship. The attendance for the week was 15,714, a record at the time.

The 2004 M&M Meat Shops Masters of Curling was held from December 9 to 12, 2004 at the Elgar Petersen Arena in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. The event was one of the four men's Grand Slams of the 2004–05 curling season.

The 1992 Canadian Senior Curling Championships, Canada's national championship for curlers over 50, were held March 14 to 21, 1992 at the Evergreen Centre in Nipawin, Saskatchewan.

The CN Curling Club is a curling club located in the Montgomery Place neighbourhood of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Once one of six curling clubs in the city, it is today one of three clubs still operating, along with the Sutherland Curling Club and the Nutana Curling Club. The closure of the Granite Curling Club in 2022 left CN as the only club in the city on the west side of the South Saskatchewan River.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Saskatoon Arena". At Work: Historical Images of Labour in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Council for Archives and Archivists. 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Saskatoon's last downtown arena". CBC News . 2016-04-07. Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Quenneville, Guy (2018-10-21). "The Great Arena Debate". CBC News . Archived from the original on 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  4. Herrington, Ross (2007-03-31). "Saskatchewan Road and Railway Bridges to 1950: Inventory". Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Saskatoon Arena Limited". Saskatchewan Council for Archives & Archivists. City of Saskatoon Archives. Archived from the original on 2022-09-25. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  6. 1 2 O'Brien, Jeff; Millar, Ruth W.; Delainey, William P. (2006). Saskatoon: A History in Photographs. Saskatoon: Coteau Books. p. 65. ISBN   1-55050-336-7.
  7. "History and Background". Saskatoon Usadian Executives Association. Archived from the original on 2023-12-27. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  8. "Retirement of Norman Couch as manager of Saskatoon Arena". Saskatchewan Council for Archives & Archivists. City of Saskatoon Archives. Archived from the original on 2023-12-27. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  9. 1 2 3 Wolfe, Cory (2008-02-09). "Grand opening for Blades in '88". The StarPhoenix . Archived from the original on 2013-09-28. Retrieved 2023-12-27 via canada.com.
  10. 1 2 3 Tank, Phil (2023-02-24). "Timing is exactly right for debate on new Saskatoon arena". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Archived from the original on 2023-03-19. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  11. Weeks, Bob (1995). The Brier: The History of Canada's Most Celebrated Curling Championship . Toronto: Macmillan Canada. pp. 52–53. ISBN   9780771573057.
  12. "We're number one again-in women's curling". The Star-Phoenix. March 3, 1972. p. 10. Archived from the original on 2022-06-10. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  13. "1971, 1972 and 1973 Vera Pezer Curling Team". Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2019-06-01. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  14. 1 2 Hoknes, Terry (2021-03-10). "The Final Decade of the Saskatoon Arena and the Birth of SaskPlace". Folklore Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-01-24. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  15. Mitchell, Kevin (2017-03-05). "Bill Hunter shook the foundations of Canada's hockey establishment". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Archived from the original on 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  16. Tank, Phil (2016-04-23). "Three decades reveal dashed arena dream". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Archived from the original on 2016-04-23. Retrieved 2023-12-28.