Scotiabank Arena (Air Canada Centre) Renovations

[TOareaFan]

I was talking to a guy a few days ago who was waxing nostalgic about concerts at Maple Leaf Stadium. I kind of knew what he was talking about like a rumour from a dream I can’t remember but few today would even know that venue existed ( at the foot of Bathurst).

You mean Stadium Rd wasn’t called that on a whim?

That said, I had no idea that concerts were ever held there....,you sure he was not talking about Maple Leaf Gardens?

 

[kiltboy]

Maple Leaf Stadium, from danielwyatt.blogspot.com

 

[Johnny Au]

Maple Leaf Stadium, from danielwyatt.blogspot.com
View attachment 147899

It's hard to believe that Toronto had a Triple-A baseball team named the Maple Leafs.

The current version of the AAA Leafs now play in Pawtucket, RI.

 

[someMidTowner]

Stopped by for a memento photo today:

 

[Michael62]

You mean Stadium Rd wasn’t called that on a whim?

That said, I had no idea that concerts were ever held there, you sure he was not talking about Maple Leaf Gardens?

I remember that place, it was an old stadium built for the Maple Leaf Baseball team at the time, it was junior league baseball but some of the greats came to play. It was made out of wood and have extremely steep stairs with no railings, like a vomitorium. It was a big deal for Toronto the day Babe Ruth came to play. There wasn't much else going on in the summer except baseball. We would go there on Saturday afternoon. It never looked as good as this picture, I remember it from the mid-1950's Too young to know if there were concerts there at night but I wouldn't be surprised

Toronto Mike mls

 

[Steam And Hiss]

It’s unforuntate that the north and west walls of the original postal building were demolished. I guess it was necessary in order to accommodate the footprint of a professional hockey rink and its bowl seating. It would be nice to have had said walls extended to the current dimensions of the arena, thereby eliminating the sterile glass facades. This would give the building a much more classy, sophisticated and timeless appearance. There is zero charm when viewing the arena from the west.

As for the interior design: I would love to see the steel girders and other mechanical equipment concealed by a warm, honey-toned, wooden roof a la Madison Square Garden. This would tidy things up and give the auditorium a more completed and aesthically pleasing appearance. The exposed pipes and ventilation are messy.

 

[TrickyRicky]

Regarding Maple Leaf Stadium it was demolished in 1968, way before my time; however, the timeline of the 60s lines up with the guys recollections. He said big headliners played there but a 10 second search of the internet only comes up with something called the Mariposa folk festival with headliners like Gordon Lightfoot etc.

Anyways, the point taken that 50 years later the stadium, its purpose, and the moments people shared there leave nothing but the faintest trace.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

If there was a competition, what name would you have chosen instead of Scotiabank Arena?

 

[DSC]

If there was a competition, what name would you have chosen instead of Scotiabank Arena?

Something NOT connected to a commercial enterprise.

 

[ShonTron]

I remember that place, it was an old stadium built for the Maple Leaf Baseball team at the time, it was junior league baseball but some of the greats came to play. It was made out of wood and have extremely steep stairs with no railings, like a vomitorium. It was a big deal for Toronto the day Babe Ruth came to play. There wasn't much else going on in the summer except baseball. We would go there on Saturday afternoon. It never looked as good as this picture, I remember it from the mid-1950's Too young to know if there were concerts there at night but I wouldn't be surprised

View attachment 147945 Toronto Mike mls

Didn't Babe Ruth only play once in Toronto, at the Hanlan's Point Stadium? Or was it again on a circuit that old pros made to support the minor leagues?

Toronto, like Montreal (the Royals), had a long and storied history of minor pro baseball before the expansion era of MLB in the 1960s-1970s.

In any event, we're going way off-topic.

 

[TOareaFan]

Something NOT connected to a commercial enterprise.

Really, we are still having these discussions? One commercial enterprise sold the naming rights to a building they own to another commercial venture.....for $800MM.....so unless you can think of a way to replace those revenues, the ship has sailed on non-commerical enterprise naming!

 

[TOareaFan]

Didn't Babe Ruth only play once in Toronto, at the Hanlan's Point Stadium? Or was it again on a circuit that old pros made to support the minor leagues?

I don't know about only once but I do think that when the Babe hit his first professional home run into Lake Ontario it was from home plate at Hanlan's Point Stadium....I think the myths/legends of the two old ballparks, at some point in time, merged into one. The famous home run was hit into the lake in September 1914....long before Maple Leaf Stadium was contemplated, never mind built!

 

[DSC]

Really, we are still having these discussions? One commercial enterprise sold the naming rights to a building they own to another commercial venture.....for $800MM.....so unless you can think of a way to replace those revenues, the ship has sailed on non-commerical enterprise naming!

Of course you are correct but the question that I was answering was "If there was a competition, what name would you have chosen instead of Scotiabank Arena?"

 

[TOareaFan]

Of course you are correct but the question that I was answering was "If there was a competition, what name would you have chosen instead of Scotiabank Arena?"

if there was a competition (in this day and age), though, it would all be names associated with commercial enterprises

 

[Steam And Hiss]

Perhaps something in honour of Conn Smythe.