 | |
 Arena interior in 2015 | |
  Canada Life Place Location within Ontario  Canada Life Place Location within Canada | |
| Former names | John Labatt Centre (2002–2012) Budweiser Gardens (2012-2024) |
|---|---|
| Address | 99 Dundas Street |
| Location | London, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 42°58′57″N 81°15′9″W / 42.98250°N 81.25250°W |
| Owner | London Civic Centre Corporation |
| Operator | Global Spectrum |
| Capacity | 9,036 - Hockey 9,000 - End stage concert 3,200 - Theatre mode (smaller concert) 2,800 - Theatre mode (with proscenium) 10,200 - Centre stage concert |
| Surface | 200 ft × 85 ft (61 m × 26 m) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 2001 |
| Opened | October 11, 2002 |
| Construction cost | $42 million, plus $10 million for land |
| Architect | Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects (BBB Architects) |
| Project manager | Trinity Planning & Projects Consulting[1] |
| Structural engineer | VanBoxmeer & Stranges[2] |
| Services engineer | The Mitchell Partnership, Inc.[3] |
| General contractor | EllisDon[4] |
| Tenants | |
| London Knights (OHL) (2002–present) London Lightning (BSL) (2011–present) Western Mustangs-Men's Hockey (CIS) (2005–2007) | |
Canada Life Place is a sports-entertainment centre, in London, Ontario, Canada – the largest such centre in Southwestern Ontario. Its previous names include John Labatt Centre and Budweiser Gardens.
Opened as the John Labatt Centre in 2002, it was named after John Labatt, founder of the Labatt brewery in London. The centre's name was changed to Budweiser Gardens (after Labatt's sister brand in AB InBev) in Fall 2012.[5][6] Naming rights of the stadium were attained by Canada Life, and finalized in October 2024.[7][8]
The centre was built to be the new downtown home of London's Ontario Hockey League team, the London Knights, replacing the 40-year-old London Ice House in the south end of the city, near Highway 401. Since 2011, it is home to London's Basketball Super League team, the London Lightning.
- ^ "Projects". Trinity Planning & Projects Consulting. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- ^ "John Labatt Centre". VanBoxmeer & Stranges. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- ^ "John Labatt Centre" (PDF). The Mitchell Partnership, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 18, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- ^ "John Labatt Centre". EllisDon. Archived from the original on October 18, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- ^ "Move aside John Labatt". London Community News. June 27, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
- ^ Martin, Chip. "Budweiser Gardens it is". LFPress. London Free Press. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
- ^ "Will you call it 'The Can'? Budweiser Gardens officially gets a new name". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ "Goodbye Budweiser Gardens, hello Canada Life Place". CTV News. London, Ontario. October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2024.