Toronto Ryerson's Mattamy Athletics Centre + Loblaws at the Gardens | ?m | ?s | Ryerson University | Turner Fleischer

Actually, the arena burned to the ground. The Provigo is a completely new building built on the vacant lot left behind after the debris was cleared away.
 
I may be getting my Montreal intersections mixed up, but is this the grocery store next to the old train station (which is now just a Metro station)?
 
I've been to the Provigo that is mentioned. It is on Mont-Royal - I did not notice the shine though, but it has a nice beer selection. :p

The Loblaws at Parc Station (which is a Metro and AMT stop) is at Parc and Jean-Talon, much further to the north.

With the SAQ there, I see it as Montreal's answer to North Toronto Station.
 
Ahh, that's the one I was thinking of. Indeed, it's totally Montreal's version of North Toronto Station.
 
does anyone know where the Mutual Street Arena was? (other than on Mutual street).
 
Some might remember this place as The Terrace on Mutual Street.
Popular spot downtown for roller skating in the 70's and 80's.
I have so many good memories from there and had a bunch of friends in the 80's that went there too.
How about you?
I know some of the songs were cheesy but roller skating under the turned down lights was fun.
Come on admit it .. you had fun too.
 
A building jam-packed with memories will soon undergo a transformation -- hopefully one true to its spirit
By JOE WARMINGTON
torontosun.com/News/Colum...1-sun.html

There were a lot of smiles over the years at 60 Carlton.

Torontonians remember a whole bunch of Stanley Cups, including the last one in 1967. Those who don't remember smile just hearing about the good old days. There's no question Maple Leaf Gardens is more than just a building.

It's Toronto's Temple. Retired.

There will never be another hockey game played on its surface. But there will be another season. It won't be hockey but it won't be just groceries either.

It has the potential to become a must-see destination for Toronto. It deserves that for all it has represented.

Dozens of rumours have been floating around town -- ranging from the original Loblaws Superstore plan being dead, to demolition of the 75-year-old piece of Canadian history.

None are true. In fact Loblaws confirmed yesterday not only is the company moving ahead with plans, it is moving ahead with energy and great anticipation. "It is exciting," said Liz Margles, v-p of communications.

It's good to hear. We need excitement in this town. I think the Dundas Square development is looking pretty cool and will be a good home to future New Year's Eve celebrations.

I also support the mayor and council for trying something different with that controversial ad campaign for the U.S. Why the heck not? Try something to get people here.

This is a terrific city to visit and a renovated Gardens will just add to it.

It is easy to see why people are frustrated to see the Canadian shrine sitting vacant since the Maple Leafs final game in 1999. Anybody who saw Tom Hayes' excellent report on CTV last night will have noticed footage showing the Heritage site in shambles.

It's like it has been frozen in time. In a way it has. So much happened in its history. It was the centre of sports and entertainment in this town from 1931 to 1999. I mean the Beatles played there and Frank Sinatra. Elvis Presley to The Who. There were political conventions and great boxing matches.

And don't forget some pretty special hockey games. Team Canada 1972 played in there and we won't forget Darryl Sittler's 10 points, Doug Gilmour's famous goal against St. Louis and Wayne Gretzky's marker to end our dreams in 1992.

The Air Canada Centre is as good a rink as any in the NHL. But it's not Maple Leaf Gardens, where not much has happened since the Leafs pulled out. Sure Cher rehearsed and they filmed Cinderella Man in there. It just adds to the history and stature of the great building Conn Smythe built.

The video showed dead rodents, disassembled seats and boxes of files. It's just temporary, promises Margles. "There is a plan," she said. "By mid-summer we will be ready to show our vision."

Stay tuned. It's true it has taken a lot of time but "this building is very important to us. We want to get it right."

In other words it will be more than just a frozen food section. "We understand it's the marriage of two real Canadian icons," she said of the Gardens and Loblaws.

What is approved so far are two levels of parking and two levels of shopping. But there are more ideas to be suggested.

I think what they did at the old Montreal Forum is pretty good. There is a section of the old red seats intact and some pictures on the wall next to a drug store and a sports bar.

But I think we can do better. Hopefully Loblaws will. They have invested tens of millions so far and deserve the chance to show what they have in mind. They know we will be watching since we all want it to become a special place once again.

Canadian Tire had a neat opportunity with its new store at Bay and Dundas. They could have put in a fishing pond, a mountain, an indoor skateboard park and basketball and hockey nets for the kids but chose to make it look like a Canadian Tire in any suburb.

Corporate bean-counters don't have a lot of imagination and it shows. A downtown location has to be special. Unique. An interactive destination point not only draws tourists from the U.S. but people from the suburbs, too.

Our fingers are crossed Loblaws will make sure the Gardens location has some of this flair and something people talk about.

Nothing will replace the Stanley Cups. But good planning can conserve the memories. And the smiles.
 
Thanks for the update. There is a lot of potential here. It will be hard to satisfy the public no matter what they decide.
 
The public has strong appetites, and a desperate hunger for something new in the aisles, that I believe only Galen Jr. can satisfy.
 
I highly recommend their new, delectable, individual pinapple upside down cakes. Microwave from frozen in 50 seconds. No one will think you didn't slave all day over them.
 
Few things make me more depressed about this city than the unfortunate fate of Maple Leaf Gardens.

New Slogan: Toronto - complacent mediocrityand greed.
 
Perhaps part of the delay is due to the ongoing problems that Loblaws is having. The superstore concept in particular while originally successful out west is encountering problems here in central Canada largely due to problems with the logistics chain.

An interesting read on the problems that Weston/Loblaws is having is here
 
mpolo, what do you suggest, then, ought to be done with the building? It's a hard job to make it viable economically while respecting it's history, and many attempts have been made. What city, where, did something less complacent with an old arena.
 
I think complacency and greed when the city allows for the demolition of its historic buildings. A transformation such as this is the best way to save it. It's done everywhere and there's nothing wrong with it.
 
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