The House That St. Catharines Built: Constructing the Garden City Arena Complex

Photo of the exterior of the Garden City Arena during construction in 1938. 

Contributed by Bill Park.

Click here to explore the St. Catharines Museum's collection of Garden City Arena images and artefects.

Indoor Ice for St. Catharines

For more than a century, St. Catharines has been a centre for amateur and professional hockey communities. By the mid-1930s, St. Catharines still had no indoor arena nor artificial ice surfaces to play on. Sparked by Thorold’s arena project, completed in 1937, plans were drawn for an arena in downtown St. Catharines.

In less than a year, the Garden City Arena was constructed. The entire city rallied together to raise the funds needed for its construction. The community’s role in the establishment of the first indoor artificial ice surface for St. Catharines is one that no one can dismiss or forget. From regular folks with tools, to businessmen, to factory workers, all the way to the City Council, all worked together to get this monumental project off the ground.

Photos of W. W. Park and Bill Newman in the Garden City Arena in 1938. W. W. Park was involved in the construction of the arena. 

Contributed by Bill Park.

Mary Howard in front of a photo her father, George Howard.

Contributed by Mary Howard.

Fundraising

The City of St. Catharines didn’t have the funds to construct the arena itself. At the time, the new City Hall had just been built. This project, along with the lasting impacts of the Great Depression meant that the public purse had been exhausted.

The cost of the new arena was budgeted at $100,000 (equivalent of $1.91 million today) and it would be a combination of public and private funds that would see construction move forward in the summer of 1938. Eager community members were instrumental in going door-to-door to collect half of the funds required to build the new arena. The city was able to produce half of the required funds.

St. Catharines resident George Howard, who would also co-found the city's Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) hockey league, was a key fundraiser for the arena. Howard's daughter, Mary, recounted his role:

He was just going out and trying to ask people to donate... as opposed to the actual building. I'm trying to think who built it, was it Newman construction? I'm not sure. 'Cause there's still a lot of them around, you know, a lot of the Newman's around from that…My dad was more in the fundraising part of it and the coming up with the idea of having one and how do we go to the city council to get it going? Like he was more ... that type of an instigator as opposed to actually building it.

A combination of community donations, private business funds and city funds would see this project through to completion.

The interior of the Garden City Arena in 1938.

Contributed by Bill Park.

From Grass to Ice in 4 Months

Beginning with a first turning of the sod in August 1938, construction would proceed rapidly converting a grass lot to a fully completed arena before the end of the year. Full construction was completed in less than four months, an impressive feat of local industrial might and building talent. The initial project included one arena, currently known as the Jack Gatecliff Arena within the main complex. Workers from local industries aided with labour and materials.

One of the members of the construction crew was Eddie Timco, a worker at McKinnon Industries Limited. Sandie Timco explained her uncle's role in buiding the arena:

My dad told me that his older brother, Eddie, helped build the arena. And Eddie Timco. And as far as I know a lot of guys who worked at McKinnon’s did that too. I don’t know how, but Uncle Ed did. Dad was a bit too young I think, my dad was a welder. Whether he did some work there or not, I’m not sure, but I know Uncle Eddie did. He used to say that ‘Oh, he built the rafters,’ or something like that I think when my dad would go to the arena with us.

An additional pad, later known as the Rex Stimers Arena, would be constructed later. The second pad opened to the public in 1966 to help the city meet growing demand for hockey ice.

The back page of St. Catharines Falcons official programme from January 1945 featuring an ad for McKinnon Industries Limited. 

Contributed by Marvin Cook.

McKinnon Industries

McKinnon Industries Limited—McKinnon’s—was a local hardware store and later a producer of carriages and wagons founded by Ebenezer McKinnon. Founded in the late 1870s, the business grew rapidly expanding from a small store on St. Paul Street to a major local producer.

In 1901 the company moved to a new factory complex on Ontario Street, opposite Carlton. Following the death of Ebenezer in 1923, the family-owned company expanded into tools manufacturing and was bought by the General Motors Corporation in 1929. The factory would remain in operation as a part of G.M. until it’s closure in 2010.

Design and Architecture

According to the 1938 blueprints, the original Garden City Arena—excluding Rex Stimers—was constructed with over 350,000 pounds (158,800kg) of structural steel, much of which is used in the arch trusses supporting the roof deck. Instead of bolts, pieces were rivetted together. The steel rests on a foundation comprised of concrete and masonry. 2,735 cubic yards (2,091 cubic metres) of concrete was used in the construction of the complex.

The original structural engineering designs were created by James M. Cowan of Toronto.

When the arena opened, it lacked the blue and white scheme seen today. The arena was composed of red brick walls with stone inlays.

The Rex Stimers Arena, upon completion in 1966, was actually in a separate building constructed next to the original arena. It wasn't until major renovations completed in 1996 that the two arenas were combined into a single complex.

The original 1938 seats, a "standout feature" of the Garden City Arena.

Contributed by Kat Rice.

The Toronto Maple Leafs competing against Niagara senior hockey teams at the Garden City Arena, the first game played at the arena, 1938. This image was hung in the Garden City Arena.

Finding Seats and the First Game

As many construction projects do, the Garden City Arena ran over budget. By the time the structure was completed, there was no money left to install seating.

Through a loan from local businessman H.G. Touch, seating was able to be procured and installed. The arena was ready for hockey. To repay Mr. Touch, an exhibition game was arranged. The Toronto Maple Leafs played right here in St. Catharines, one period each against our local senior teams, to a sold-out crowd. On December 20, 1938, 3,500 eager hockey fans crowded the new complex to enjoy the very first game. With eyes “glued” to the ice, this game would mark an instrumental moment in the history of St. Catharines hockey.