Scarboro Arena Gardens (75 Birchmount Road) (1951) plaque, 2024.
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Resource ID
11589
Access
Open
Geo - Longitude
-79.262042
Geo - Latitude
43.695358
Credit Line
Heritage Toronto
Date of Creation
2024
Program Category
Plaques
Rights
Heritage Toronto
Address
75 Birchmount Road, Toronto, ON M1N 3J7
Historical Themes
Architecture and Buildings, Sports
Time Period
1900-1953, 1954-1998, 1999-today
Plaque Text
Scarboro Arena Gardens was the first purpose-built hockey arena in the City of Scarborough.
The rink was one of the largest ice surfaces in Canada when it was built in 1951. It was commissioned to meet the National Hockey League (NHL) regulation size and seat 2,039 fans with room for 1,000 more standing.
Replacing Wexford Arena after a fire earlier in the year, Scarboro Arena Gardens was an important community space for the Birch Cliff neighbourhood. The new arena was home to minor-league teams in the Scarboro Lions Club Hockey League and the Wexford Raiders of the Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League.
The Lions, which led fundraising for the rink's construction, hosted a parade and opening ceremonies on November 30, 1951. At the event, some of the first to use the artificial ice were students of Christine Kennedy, who taught at the Professional Scarboro Arena Gardens Figure Skating Club. There was also an exhibition hockey game.
The building went through several alterations and additions in 1975-76, 1997, and 2002 with a complete rebuild in 2024.
City of Toronto Heritage Register
Caption
Scarboro Arena Gardens (75 Birchmount Road) (1951) plaque, 2024.
Marker lat / long: 43.695358, -79.262042 (WGS84)