Dalhousie Memorial Arena

Dalhousie Memorial Arena
Map
General information
StatusDemolished
Address6185 South St.
Town or cityHalifax, Nova Scotia
Construction started1981
Opened1982
Closed2012
Design and construction
Architect(s)Daniel F. Tully and J. G. Sykes
Main contractorCorkum Construction
Other information
Seating capacity1,280
References
[1]

The Dalhousie Memorial Arena was a 1,280 seat multi-purpose arena in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was home to the Dalhousie University Tigers Ice hockey team.

The Dalhousie Memorial Rink opened in 1950, and commemorated Dalhousie students who fought in the two world wars. It burned down in May 1978, suffering a structural collapse in the process.[1]

A new facility, the Dalhousie Memorial Arena, was built on the same site. Designed by architect Daniel F. Tully, the structure was inspired by the arena at the University of Maine. It opened in 1982 and had a seated capacity of 1,280.[1]

The Memorial Arena saw The Dalhousie Tigers' only AUS Championship win in 1978. In 2011, Dalhousie's board of governors voted to demolish the arena, which was in need of repair. The university said that the cost of renovating the arena (estimated to be $11-12 million in 2011) was roughly the cost of building a new one.[2]

In June 2021, the Dalhousie board of governors approved a budget of $21.6 million for a new arena, called the Dalhousie Event Centre, to be built on the site of the old one, which had been used as a parking lot in the interim. In June 2022, the board was informed that costs had risen. An amended budget of $36.5 million was approved.[3] However, construction was halted in late 2022 due to cost and labour issues. In March 2023, it was reported that there were no immediate plans to recommence work, but that the university remained "committed" to the project.[4]

  1. ^ a b c "Dalhousie Memorial Arena". The Buildings of Dalhousie University. Dalhousie University. Archived from the original on January 26, 2010. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  2. ^ Irwin, Keri (30 November 2011). "Mixed‑Use Facility moves ahead; Memorial Arena to come down". Dal News. Dalhousie University.
  3. ^ Jussinoja, Kaija (9 November 2022). "Dal's new hockey arena is nearly $15 million over budget". The Coast.
  4. ^ Hollingsworth, Paul (14 March 2023). "Construction delay continues for Dalhousie University arena". CTV News.