329:, 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. 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.
232:-era relief work project that was completed in 1932. 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. 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. The land purchase to build the arena involved a ten-year agreement to offer free skating and hockey for school children.
31:
298:. However, the facility had outlived its usefulness by the 1970s and had become infamous for its leaky roof and substandard amenities. 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. The situation was complicated when local sports promoter
306:
in the early 1980s. 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
266:
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. The arena hosted major events for half of a century, ranging from musical acts to wrestling matches. The rink hosted two national
251:, became the arena's manager. 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. The arena was home to the
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7–0 before a sold-out crowd. The next week, Saskatchewan Place officially opened, becoming the new home of the Blades. Saskatoon Arena was demolished in 1989.
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247:(NHL). The new arena was "hailed as the only artificial ice surface between Winnipeg and Calgary". SAL secretary Norman Couch, who had been working for the
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Even in its final decade, as the city debated replacing the aging facility, it continued to host major musical and traveling acts, including the
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Construction began in
September 1937 and the arena opened on October 30, featuring a sold-out hockey game between the
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men's curling championships, in 1946 and 1965, and one national women's curling championship, in 1972. The
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instigated efforts to bring the NHL to
Saskatoon, including a failed bid to purchase and relocate the
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208:. It was the city's main entertainment venue for a half-century, before it was replaced in 1988 by
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200:, which opened in October 1937, and which was demolished in March 1989. The arena was situated in
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The last hockey game at
Saskatoon Arena was played on February 2, 1988—Saskatoon beat the
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291:'s Saskatoon rink, their second in a run of three consecutive national titles.
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The Brier: The
History of Canada's Most Celebrated Curling Championship
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990:"Bill Hunter shook the foundations of Canada's hockey establishment"
960:"The Final Decade of the Saskatoon Arena and the Birth of SaskPlace"
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During the summer of 1989, the Arena site was transformed into an
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640:. Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport. Archived from
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O'Brien, Jeff; Millar, Ruth W.; Delainey, William P. (2006).
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835:"Timing is exactly right for debate on new Saskatoon arena"
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also set a new tournament attendance record and was won by
763:"Retirement of Norman Couch as manager of Saskatoon Arena"
638:"Saskatchewan Road and Railway Bridges to 1950: Inventory"
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544:. Saskatchewan Council for Archives and Archivists. 2010
220:
Saskatoon Arena was conceived as a replacement for the
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edition set a new tournament attendance record. The
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767:Saskatchewan Council for Archives & Archivists
677:Saskatchewan Council for Archives & Archivists
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275:and was the first to be broadcast nationally on
927:"1971, 1972 and 1973 Vera Pezer Curling Team"
903:. March 3, 1972. p. 10. Archived from
897:"We're number one again-in women's curling"
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1020:"Three decades reveal dashed arena dream"
35:The demolition of Saskatoon Arena in 1989
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1055:Defunct ice hockey venues in Canada
706:Saskatoon: A History in Photographs
525:
436:Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League;
407:Saskatchewan Military Hockey League
392:Saskatchewan Military Hockey League
373:Western Canada Senior Hockey League
361:Western Canada Senior Hockey League
325:to host cultural events during the
285:1972 Macdonald Lassies Championship
271:was opened by Saskatchewan Premier
255:hockey team and, from 1964, to the
104:Saskatoon Arena Limited (1937–1958)
13:
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798:"Grand opening for Blades in '88"
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567:"Saskatoon's last downtown arena"
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422:Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
357:Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League
1075:Sports venues demolished in 1989
931:Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame
1060:Defunct indoor arenas in Canada
1030:from the original on 2016-04-23
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1000:from the original on 2017-03-06
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970:from the original on 2023-01-24
937:from the original on 2019-06-01
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744:from the original on 2023-12-27
683:from the original on 2022-09-25
636:Herrington, Ross (2007-03-31).
618:from the original on 2018-10-21
604:Quenneville, Guy (2018-10-21).
579:from the original on 2016-04-08
988:Mitchell, Kevin (2017-03-05).
769:. City of Saskatoon Archives.
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679:. City of Saskatoon Archives.
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491:Macdonald Lassies Championship
1:
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161:R. J. Arrand Construction Co.
106:City of Saskatoon (1958–1989)
1070:Western Hockey League arenas
958:Hoknes, Terry (2021-03-10).
377:Prairie Senior Hockey League
204:, on a site overlooking the
7:
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365:Pacific Coast Hockey League
10:
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1065:Sports venues in Saskatoon
796:Wolfe, Cory (2008-02-09).
513:Ice hockey in Saskatchewan
381:1938–42; 1945–56; 1958–72
332:
215:
1018:Tank, Phil (2016-04-23).
833:Tank, Phil (2023-02-24).
673:"Saskatoon Arena Limited"
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734:"History and Background"
606:"The Great Arena Debate"
417:Saskatoon Junior Quakers
249:McDonald Tobacco Company
206:South Saskatchewan River
817:– via canada.com.
198:Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
164:Dominion Bridge Company
245:National Hockey League
1024:Saskatoon StarPhoenix
994:Saskatoon StarPhoenix
839:Saskatoon StarPhoenix
438:Western Hockey League
369:Western Hockey League
261:Western Hockey League
296:Harlem Globetrotters
269:1946 Macdonald Brier
863:Weeks, Bob (1995).
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327:Canada Summer Games
81: /
18:
875:. pp. 52–53.
453:
241:New York Americans
210:Saskatchewan Place
202:downtown Saskatoon
137:September 18, 1937
85:52.124°N 106.667°W
16:
964:Folklore Magazine
538:"Saskatoon Arena"
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449:Major tournaments
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352:Saskatoon Quakers
253:Saskatoon Quakers
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176:Saskatoon Quakers
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387:Saskatoon Flyers
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309:North Industrial
257:Saskatoon Blades
237:New York Rangers
181:Saskatoon Blades
158:Main contractors
145:October 30, 1937
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304:St. Louis Blues
226:Broadway Bridge
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190:Saskatoon Arena
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17:Saskatoon Arena
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712:. p. 65.
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708:. Saskatoon:
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48:115 19th St E
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1032:. Retrieved
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911:February 20,
909:. Retrieved
905:the original
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847:. Retrieved
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812:. Retrieved
808:the original
801:
775:. Retrieved
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710:Coteau Books
705:
685:. Retrieved
676:
649:. Retrieved
642:the original
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620:. Retrieved
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581:. Retrieved
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546:. Retrieved
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323:amphitheatre
320:
313:
293:
279:, while the
265:
234:
219:
189:
188:
134:Broke ground
129:Construction
55:Saskatchewan
871:. Toronto:
316:Regina Pats
300:Bill Hunter
196:located in
183:(1964–1988)
178:(1938–1972)
153:March, 1989
88: /
76:106°40′01″W
63:Coordinates
1049:Categories
1034:2023-12-28
1004:2023-12-27
974:2023-12-27
941:2024-01-03
849:2023-12-28
814:2023-12-27
777:2023-12-27
748:2023-12-27
687:2023-12-27
651:2008-09-29
622:2023-12-27
583:2023-12-27
519:References
289:Vera Pezer
230:Depression
150:Demolished
73:52°07′26″N
277:CBC radio
51:Saskatoon
1028:Archived
998:Archived
968:Archived
935:Archived
843:Archived
771:Archived
742:Archived
681:Archived
616:Archived
611:CBC News
577:Archived
572:CBC News
507:See also
495:Curling
442:1964–88
426:1956–64
411:1942–45
396:1942–45
120:Capacity
23:The Barn
548:May 12,
475:Curling
343:League
333:Tenants
307:city's
259:of the
243:of the
216:History
170:Tenants
45:Address
879:
716:
461:Sport
458:Event
346:Years
311:area.
142:Opened
645:(PDF)
464:Year
340:Team
194:arena
124:3,304
114:Arena
101:Owner
913:2021
877:ISBN
714:ISBN
550:2016
499:1972
484:1965
480:1946
281:1965
239:and
228:, a
111:Type
1051::
1026:.
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996:.
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950:^
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527:^
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552:.
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