Description of Historic Place

Memorial Arena is a large structure with a half barrel-shaped roof built for ice hockey in Penticton, British Columbia.

Heritage Value

Memorial Arena has historic and social value for its role as a community memorial to war veterans and for its role in Penticton's legacy of sports.

Its value as a community war memorial stems from the post-World War II period when, like many communities in Canada, Penticton considered building a fitting war memorial project. Despite City Council's preference for more practical projects, a strong citizens' movement pushed for a "living Memorial" to Penticton residents who lost their lives in World War II. Some $62,000 was raised from citizens between 1946 and 1948. In 1949 a plebiscite raised further funds and a contract for $226,777.77 was let to Kenyon and Company, with W.K. Noppe as the architect. Major renovations were made to the building between 1994-1996 to ensure its functionality and structural stability.

Memorial Arena has aesthetic value for its use of laminated supporting beams which spanned a distance of 146 feet and measured 187 feet over the arc, which made them the largest of their kind in North America at the time of construction. Due to rot, the beams were reinforced with steel during the 1990s renovations. Opening in 1951, the arena was key to the development of sports, recreation and other forms of entertainment in Penticton, creating the first indoor artificial ice in the City, used by hockey players, figure skaters, and other winter sports, as well as the first large arena available for shows and various community activities. The arena has also been important to the economic development of the area as home to Penticton's hockey school, and was likely the facility that started the City's identity as a sports tourism destination.

The arena is a reflection of the history of hockey in the Okanagan and in Canada over the past half century. It is valued in the community as a source of excitement and pride as the home of the world champion 1955 Penticton Vees, numerous other local, national and regional championships and for its contribution to the development of many NHL stars who played and trained here during their early careers.

It is also valued as one of the last surviving memorial arenas in Canada and is considered of value in the national context has having the "great Canadian hockey atmosphere."

SOURCE: City of Penticton Civic File

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of Memorial Arena include its:
-early use of glue laminated beams in the roof construction
-large interior open span
-large collection of hockey memorabilia housed in the building
-association with civic events for more than 60 years
-association with hockey history
-original 1951 score clock