Fundraising at the Garden City Arena

This photo was taken by Alison Innes, Brock Humanities Social Media Coordinator, during a Junior B St. Catharines Falcons game on 26 November 2021. Incorporated within the photo is an older image of the Garden City Arena courtesy of Don Sinclair at the St. Catharines Standard.

The Garden City Arena in downtown St. Catharines first opened its doors in the winter of 1938. Not only was the St. Catharines and broader Niagara community imperative in the planning, fundraising, and construction of this local arena, but the arena also continued to serve as a central hub for a wide range of community events long after its initial opening. Fundraising, in particular, has been an apparent theme that has shaped the history of the Garden City Arena and contributes to its ongoing legacy. An arena that was built through community fundraising efforts has, in return, continued to host numerous fundraising events with the aim to bring the community together, under one roof, and benefit the community of St. Catharines and beyond.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

- Helen Keller

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.

Initial fundraising to build the Garden City Arena was a large community undertaking. The hope for an arena stemmed from the long hockey history in St. Catharines, as John Hewitt notes that hockey was often played in outdoor spaces such as Montebello Park and on the Welland Canal. While the community certainly had a want, and a need, for a large arena that would serve multiple purposes, Dennis Gannon highlights that the idea was sparked by the small city of Thorold building their own first-class arena in 1937. Organizations such as the Junior Chamber of Commerce (The Jaycees), and individuals such as Harry J. Carmichael, C. Bruce Hill, Rex Stimers, and Bill Newman, among many others, were imperative in the initial proposal for an arena in downtown St. Catharines. In fact, advocating for a community arena was one of The Jaycees' earliest initiatives, as they became “major champions of the Garden City Arena,” and have continued striving towards the betterment of the community since.

The initial proposed cost for the arena was estimated to be $80,000 in which the citizens of St. Catharines contributed roughly half of that amount. Even though this project was around the same time of a new city hall being built, and in the midst of a depression, the city-issued arena bonds quickly sold and “within a week, all of the needed public contributions were raised as well.” The construction of the arena was over budget, and yet community members still continued to provide funding such as H.G. Touch, a local businessman, who loaned enough money to have seating put in the arena. To repay the cost, an exhibition game was organized and players from the Toronto Maple Leafs competed against senior hockey teams in St. Catharines. While the original seating has needed some repairs since being installed, it still remains in the arena today and serves as a reminder of the community’s extensive commitment and support to the Garden City Arena.

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

Contributed by Kat Rice.

The community’s financial contribution, big or small, did not go unrecognized, as there are frequent references to this contribution within the official program from December of 1938. These references comment on the good character, community spirit, and dedication demonstrated by the residents of St. Catharines. For example, John D. Wright, Mayor of St. Catharines, noted, “No better evidence of the responsible and thoughtful character of the St. Catharines’ citizens for the welfare of our city can be found than the completion of this handsome Arena, an inspiring sight.” Wright offered thanks to “those who have contributed their valuable time and effort and financial support and to all others who have co-operated with the general Arena Campaign Committee in anyway.” Additionally, within that same program, the St. Catharines City Council “wish[ed] to extend heartiest appreciation to every person and organization, who, directly or indirectly contributed to the erection of the present Arena” thus recognizing that the contribution of the community extended beyond well-known names but was overall a collective community effort. Upon its completion, B. F. Lamson noted that the arena had a “high quality roof structure,” “steel truss…of the finest in existence,” and 3,240 chair seats that were a “standout feature.” These accounts emphasize the community’s excitement to have what was considered at the time to be a first-class arena, while also recognizing that this project could not have been a success without the numerous community members who supported this initiative.

“As you are sitting here in the Garden City Arena tonight, you are a witness to a dream long-harboured in the hearts of civic-minded citizens of St. Catharines. The dream is one of inestimable length…a dream beyond the capabilities of those possessive of this city’s longest memories.”

- Rex Stimers

Carol Gregor holding her nurses' jersey from the "Doctors vs Nurses" charity hockey game held at the Garden City Arena in 1983. 

Contributed by Carol Gregor. 

The Garden City Arena also served as a key location for other non-sport related events such as concerts. The theme of fundraising often extended into these events too, such as Canadian musician, Bryan Adams, performing on February 15, 1998. Adams’ concert was to raise money for breast cancer screening equipment and had a crowd of around 3,000 which would have filled, or nearly filled, the entire arena as also demonstrated by the popularity of the ‘doctors versus nurses’ hockey game. Also in attendance was concert host Linda Evangelista, a Canadian fashion model, who grew up in St. Catharines which thus reiterates the greater community aspect and overall community feel during these larger fundraising events.

When thinking about the legacy that the Garden City Arena holds, one thing is for certain- the community of St. Catharines never fails to come together for the greater good. From initial fundraising efforts to build the Garden City Arena, to the arena, in return, serving as a hub for later community fundraising events, to these fundraising initiatives still actively being represented today through organizations such as The Jaycees, this arena, its memories, and its legacy will continue to live on.