The Saskatoon Arena was an indoor

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

located in

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 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 t ...

. It opened 30 October 1937 on a site overlooking the

South Saskatchewan River The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. For the first half of the 20th century, the South Saskatchewan would completely freeze over during winter, creating spectacular ...

. It was a wooden arena constructed in Saskatoon's downtown core. On opening day, it hosted a game between the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

and

New York Americans The New York Americans, colloquially known as the Amerks, were a professional ice hockey team based in New York City from 1925 to 1942. They were the third expansion team in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the second to play ...

, and was home to the

Saskatoon Blades The Saskatoon Blades are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Eastern Division of the Western Hockey League, formerly the Western Canadian Hockey League (WCHL). They are based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, playing at the 15,195-seat SaskTe ...

of the

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...

for many years. It was also used for the city's annual

Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in t ...

services as well as for major musical performances. Nicknamed "The Barn", the facility had outlived its usefulness by the 1970s and had become infamous for its leaky roof and substandard amenities. Yet Saskatonians were hesitant to lose the landmark and a number of years passed between the first proposal in the 1970s to replace the structure and its eventual closure in the late 1980s. The last hockey game played in the arena took place on February 2, 1988 as Saskatoon beat the

Regina Pats Regina (Latin for "queen") may refer to: Places Canada * Regina, Saskatchewan, the capital city of the province ** Regina (electoral district) ** Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina France * Régina, French Guiana, a commune United States * R ...

7–2 before 3,308 fans. The next week, the new Saskatchewan Place opened. Saskatoon Arena was demolished in 1989. During the summer of 1989, the Arena site was transformed into an

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

hosting cultural events during the

Canada Summer Games The Canada Games (french: Jeux du Canada) is a multi-sport event held every two years, alternating between the Canada Winter Games and the Canada Summer Games. They represent the highest level of national competition for Canadian athletes. Two ...

. During this time the city was considering a riverbank redevelopment project and it was thought that the Arena site could retain the amphitheatre, but in 1992, city council decided instead to approve construction of Clinkskill Manor, a low income seniors highrise. Plans for riverbank redevelopment continued, however, and were formally revived in the 2000s with the

River Landing River Landing is an ongoing redevelopment district in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan that will create a commercial/cultural development along the bank of the South Saskatchewan River in downtown Saskatoon. River Landing is divided into two phases. The f ...

project. The site is 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 Bill Hunter, a businessman who attempted to build a new arena in the city, the street was renamed Bill Hunter Avenue (even though Hunter was known to have opposed the location of Saskatchewan Place). The name Saunders was then transferred to Saunders Place, a street that provides access to Clinkskill Manor and runs through the former site of the Saskatoon Arena.

Tenants

References

{{Coord , 52.1227, N, 106.6669, W, display=title Defunct indoor ice hockey venues in Canada Defunct indoor arenas in Canada Sports venues in Saskatchewan Buildings and structures in Saskatoon Sport in Saskatoon Western Hockey League arenas Sports venues demolished in 1989