Scotiabank Arena
In 1938, the federal Department of Public Works approved a new facility at the corner of Bay Street and Fleet Street to replace an overcrowded postal handling room inside Union Station. Charles B. Dolphin designed the structure using steel and concrete in an Art Deco style that cost around $2 million CAD at the time. The building opened in 1941 just as World War II began, forcing its temporary transfer to the Department of National Defence for wartime storage. After the war ended, Canada Post took back control in 1946 and installed conveyor belts and gravity-fed chutes to sort mail across multiple floors. A series of limestone bas relief carvings by Louis Temporale Sr. adorned the exterior, depicting scenes from human speech to Royal Mail steamships crossing the Atlantic Ocean. These sculptures remain today despite salt spray from the nearby Gardiner Expressway accelerating their deterioration.
John Bitove's Professional Basketball Franchise Inc. won the NBA expansion bid on the 30th of September 1993, securing the right to build a new home for the Toronto Raptors. The group purchased the abandoned Canada Post building for an undisclosed sum while planning to demolish most of it except for the eastern and southern walls. Maple Leaf Gardens Limited reacted with anger when they floated plans to build a competing single-use stadium on adjacent property atop the train sheds at Union Station. The city land required for the rival project was leased out to Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, creating a long-standing dispute over rent payments dating back to 1969. MLGL offered the city $156 million in cash and assets to settle claims and buy air rights above the platforms. John Bitove eventually sold his stake to Allan Slaight after missing construction deadlines twice and facing million-dollar fines from the NBA. Slaight then sold both the Raptors and the partially completed arena to MLGL because he could not share the building with the Maple Leafs.
Groundbreaking took place in March 1997, and the structure retained the Art Deco Queenston limestone façade along Bay Street and Lake Shore Boulevard through a process called facadism. PCL Construction revised the design-build contract to expand hockey capabilities after MLGL took control, increasing costs by over $25 million CAD. The team committed to finishing the stadium within 24 months by the 1st of March 1999, but construction actually wrapped up nine days early on the 30th of December 1998. The final cost reached $288 million, which equals approximately $499 million as of 2022. The first hockey game occurred on the 20th of February 1999, when the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3, 2 with an overtime goal by Steve Thomas. Todd Warriner scored the very first goal ever at the new venue during that match. The opening basketball game followed the next day against the Vancouver Grizzlies, while the inaugural concert featured The Tragically Hip on the 22nd of February 1999.
Air Canada purchased naming rights for US$30 million covering a 20-year period shortly after the arena opened in 1999. Locals began calling it 'The Hangar' or simply 'ACC', using the acronym out of habit and nostalgia rather than opposition to commercialism. In July 2018, the landmark was officially renamed Scotiabank Arena following a 20-year sponsorship agreement worth about C$800 million between MLSE and the bank. This deal is believed to be the highest-priced annual building and team sponsorship in North American sports history. The arena became the third facility in Canada to bear the Scotiabank name. A group of life-sized statues known as Legends Row appeared outside the southwest corner starting the 6th of September 2014, featuring players like Ted Kennedy and Johnny Bower.
The venue hosted its first NBA All-Star Game held outside the United States on the 27th of January 2016, drawing massive crowds to downtown Toronto. On the 22nd of June 23, 2002, the arena served as the host for the NHL Entry Draft before hosting five games of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey including the championship where Canada beat Finland 3, 2. The Raptors won the 2019 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors after playing Games 1, 2, and 5 at this location. A power outage during a pre-season game against Panathinaikos on the 3rd of October 2003, ended the match early because the lights could not be restored in time. Six Ultimate Fighting Championship events took place here between 2011 and 2024, with UFC 231 attracting 19,039 attendees in December 2018. The PWHL Toronto versus PWHL Montreal game on the 16th of February 2024, drew an attendance of 19,825 people, making it the most attended women's hockey game of all time.
The Liberal Party of Canada held their leadership convention inside the Air Canada Centre in 2003, resulting in Paul Martin being elected prime minister. In September 2017, the venue hosted both the opening and closing ceremonies for the Invictus Games featuring 550 competitors from 17 different nations. Headline performers included Laura Wright, Alessia Cara, Bryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, and Kelly Clarkson during these two-hour spectacular events. On the 27th of June 2021, the arena served as a COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinic that delivered shots to 26,771 people, setting a new record for vaccinations at a single location in North America. Video game competitions also found a home here when Team SoloMid defeated Cloud9 three matches to one during the Summer North American Championship Series of League of Legends in August 2016. Maple Leaf Square outside the building attracts thousands of fans during playoff runs, sometimes broadcasting away matches on its large video screen overlooking the plaza.
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Common questions
When did the Scotiabank Arena open and what was its original name?
The venue opened in 1941 as a Canada Post facility before becoming an arena. It officially opened as an entertainment venue on the 30th of December 1998 under the name Air Canada Centre.
Who designed the original building that now houses the Scotiabank Arena?
Charles B. Dolphin designed the structure using steel and concrete in an Art Deco style for $2 million CAD. The exterior features limestone bas relief carvings by Louis Temporale Sr. depicting scenes from human speech to Royal Mail steamships crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
What major sports events have taken place at the Scotiabank Arena since it opened?
The Scotiabank Arena hosted its first NBA All-Star Game held outside the United States on the 27th of January 2016. It also served as the host for the NHL Entry Draft on the 22nd of the 23rd of June 2002, and five games of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey including the championship where Canada beat Finland 3, 2.
How much did the construction of the Scotiabank Arena cost and when was it completed?
Construction wrapped up nine days early on the 30th of December 1998 with a final cost reaching $288 million. This amount equals approximately $499 million as of 2022 after PCL Construction revised the design-build contract to expand hockey capabilities.
When did the Scotiabank Arena receive its current name and what is the value of that sponsorship deal?
The landmark was officially renamed Scotiabank Arena in July 2018 following a 20-year sponsorship agreement worth about C$800 million between MLSE and the bank. Air Canada purchased naming rights for US$30 million covering a 20-year period shortly after the arena opened in 1999.