Multiplex Facility Background Report: Phase One Study. Comparative Summary of Multi-Purpose Events Centres in Selected Communities

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1 : Phase One Study Comparative Summary of Multi-Purpose Events Centres in Selected Communities November 16, 2009

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3 Table of Contents Background...page 02 Fort William Gardens Summary of Findings...04 Centre Descriptions...06 Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre...06 Duluth Entertainment & Convention Centre Essar Centre (Sault Ste. Marie) General Motors Centre (Oshawa) Interior Savings Centre (Kamloops) K-Rock/Kingston Regional Sports & Entertainment Centre Prospera Centre (Chilliwack) Prospera Place (Kelowna) Sleeman Centre (Guelph)...22 Tyson Events Centre (Sioux City) Comparative Summary Contact List Appendix A History of the Fort William Gardens

4 Background As a community, we are striving for a more diversified economy and a cleaner, greener, more beautiful and proud Thunder Bay an efficiently managed city with a high quality of life. The construction of a high-profile, multi-purpose indoor community events centre (multiplex facility) will be integral to our progressive plan to enhance the image of Thunder Bay and renew the City s infrastructure. A new signature multiplex facility would have the following benefits: stimulate the economy through increased construction jobs, sports tourism, and community redevelopment opportunities; increase community pride and identity; improve quality of life for our citizens as well as appeal to potential residents; and meet the expectations of the today s customer. The intent of this report is to provide a context for discussion and serve as background for a detailed Phase Two Feasibility Study. The information provided is derived from site visits that occurred in August and September 2009 to cities with a similar population to that of Thunder Bay. Fort William Gardens Description Since 1951, the Fort William Gardens has served the City well as a multi-purpose facility with the capacity to host a variety of events such as concerts, conferences, trade shows, circuses and different sporting events. The Gardens is in operation year round, providing ice rental or building rental services. Ice Rental is provided from September to April, seven days a week. Special Events can be scheduled year round with the capacity to cover the ice homosote flooring (ice deck) if required. Power Supply: One 600 Amp, one 200 Amp, Two 100 Amp, service 120/208 all 3 phase Arena Dimensions: Gardens: 85.4 x 190 Curling Club: 80 x 200 Staging: 4 foot Dressing Rooms: 8 Building Capacity: Fixed Arena Seating: 3,371 Standing Room: 268 VIP Booths: Seats 30 Accessible Seating: 21 Seating on Floor: 1,000 Total Building Capacity: 4,690 Net Operating Cost: $0.4M Event Days: 56 LU 22 games, North Stars 25 games, 3 concerts, 2 circus, 1 folklore festival, plus playoffs The Gardens is the Home to: Lakehead University Thunderwolves, Junior A Hockey League Fort William North Stars, and the Fort William Figure Skating Club 2

5 Summary of Findings This comparative study involved ten facilities, eight of which are located in Canada and two in the USA. The communities have a population ranging from 80,000 to 150,000. The market service area (MSA) for these communities ranges between 110,000 to 175,000 with the exception of four locations where the population density is greater Oshawa, Kingston, Abbotsford, and Guelph. Capital costs for the various facilities appear to vary with the timeframe of construction. For instance, the Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops was opened in 1992 at $23M with Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre recently opened its doors in 2009 at a cost of $66M. Of the seven centres built between 2003 and 2009, the cost is upwards of $45M. Regular seating capacity spans approximately 4,800 to 6,800. Eight of the ten facilities are located in a downtown location while the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre is situated at an industrial location and Chilliwack s Prospera Centre is located in a designated community recreational area. The following comments are based on general observations made during the site visits: Seating the preferred capacity is a minimum of 5000 seats for Major Junior hockey and for concerts and professional hockey Suites a minimum of 20 with a capacity of per suite is optimal two other suites for ongoing rental to different groups is desirable the suites should be located so they have visibility for concerts as well as sporting events (not near the Zamboni room where the stage is usually setup or over the Zamboni end zone) Club Seats the preferred location is behind the home team s bench between the blue lines - should be separated with a railing from the standard seating seats should be upgraded (e.g. padded) and ideally have access to a club lounge Traffic Flow flow is optimized if public enter from the top and walk down to their seats - lower levels remain clear for staff and participants also better security for participants upper level should be walled off in the hallway to the main seating bowl but the end or ends could be left open for use as multi-purpose space or social zones Dressing Rooms Primarily for Hockey and other Sports up to 5,000 square ft. room (necessary for the major tenant) direct entrance is necessary to the players bench at ice level - should be close to an outside entrance that has double doors for loading and unloading a bus - ample parking area tenant needs differ based on the league - i.e. sq. footage to the number and size of rooms and their location relative to each other one large room or two adjoining rooms for the visiting team with separate traffic flow from the home team - direct access to the outside - ample parking space for team bus visiting team s room should lead directly to the players bench and should be anywhere from a mininmum of 450 to 600 sq. feet - all the necessary amenities such as showers, sinks, mirror and bathroom facilities are needed 3

6 Summary of Findings four other dressing rooms are ideal at 350 to 400 sq. feet with the potential of each pair being opened to each other - each of these four rooms needs a shower, sink, bathroom facilities, mirror, benches and hooks above each seat and must be well ventilated - flooring must be designed to accommodate skates Multi-purpose Rooms multi-purpose rooms are necessary to host meetings and social events, or accommodate concert promoters - rooms must be equipped with showers, sinks, mirrors, bathrooms, television sets, internet connections, telephones etc. a variety of multi-purpose rooms are needed to best service the needs of concert promoters Press Box to host the press for national events the press box must be the appropriate size and include all amenities such as power, phones, and internet radio and television broadcasts must be able to be accommodated, including full wireless connectivity a computerized system to control the lights in the arena is necessary Zamboni Room and Main Entrance to the Arena Floor at least one room is needed for the Zamboni large entrance doors are required so trucks and team buses can drive onto the arena floor to load and unload all staging equipment for various events sufficient storage space is needed near the main entrance to the arena floor Retail Outlets major tenant should have dedicated space to sell products should have high visibility extra space for ancillary retail use for all other special events is needed off the lobby and hallways in traffic areas Restaurant the restaurant should have a distinct identity if attached to the facility and should be open regular hours alternately, a restaurant can be built inside the facility and be open only during events - caters to patrons prior to and during events/games and serves patrons in their suites - restaurant should be located at the opposite end of where the stage is for concerts to provide optimal viewing and be close to suites to provide food/beverage services Site Location in City majority of facilities are located downtown - location can be the key to revitalization of the downtown or the anchor of a new development access to hotels and restaurants is important - within walking distance is ideal one of key factors to the overall success of the project is site location Parking sufficient parking space needed for concert/ event vehicles to park during their performances nearby space needed for suite holders with access to a separate entrance sufficient public parking spaces within close walking distance required for events is preferred - overflow onto streets and other open sites may be a reality patrons are required to find parking near the facility in all of the downtown locations 4 4

7 Summary of Findings Event Days major tenant should anchor at least dates hosting up to 10 concerts/performances per year should be the minimum target events such as car shows, festivals, curling bonspiels, trade shows and skating events would add another events national and regional events along with minor sport tournaments should be hosted event days should be targeted annually Naming rights a major company sponsor for the facility through naming rights is essential (provides a distinct brand identity and revenue) sponsorship is key component to the business plan for any new facility Concessions each concession should be adequately stocked with the necessary equipment and storage to provide a variety of food/beverage serving adequate storage is necessary to ensure sufficient supplies during major events concessions should be located in areas where there is ample room for patrons to line up without interfering with traffic flow throughout the facility room for expansion of concessions in other areas of the facility to accommodate events on the floor is recommended Elevators freight elevators are needed at the Zamboni end of the arena because most deliveries come through this entrance elevators must be convenient and accessible for the restaurant/caterer to ensure they are able to provide the expected service passenger elevators are required in key locations Ceiling a distance of 45 ft. from underneath the beam to the floor of the facility is necessary to meet the minimum requirement for events (e.g. concerts, circus) Curtains curtains should be hung from the ceiling and can be moved to provide a backdrop for performances to accommodate variences in the size of audiences (e.g. theatre seating) curtains must be easily moved and well positioned Restrooms a sufficient number of restrooms should be properly located for ease of access Power adequate power supply must be installed especially for large events such as concerts - many of the vehicles for these events also need a power source To conclude, it is imperative to determine the vision of the facility initially and then to ensure that the building features and services required to achieve the programming vision are reflected in the architectural design. By identifying needs from the perspectives of patrons, participants and staff, the facility planners can provide amenities that will maximize the potential for the efficient and effective operation of the facility and the best possible event experience for spectators. The majority of facilities included in this report were dedicated to a multi-purpose approach since a variety of events attract a broader range of patrons.

8 Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre City: Abbotsford, British Columbia Population: 130,000 with a total of 300,000 in MSA Site: Industrial area Visibility/Access: Access limited from highways Parking: Limited parking on adjacent college property and private lots with charge Opened: 2009 Owner: City Cost: $66M Management of Centre: Global Spectrum Management Contract Major Tenant: Abbotsford Heat, American Hockey League 6

9 Seating Capacity: Hockey 6,855 Event Days: 107 projected for first year Capacity to host major concerts and AHL Hockey (only open since May 09) Features: Suites 22 plus 2 party rooms Club Seats plus 15 loge Press Box Dressing Rooms 4 dressing rooms plus the AHL team room Loading and Staging 3 entrance doors with a large loading area Retail Outlets none Restaurants no restaurant inside facility club lounge for VIP suite holders - restaurant built next to facility (no other restaurants or hotels nearby) Multi-purpose Rooms 2 Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre 7

10 Duluth Entertainment & Convention Centre City: Population: Site: Visibility/ Access: Duluth, Minnesota 86,000 with a total of 130,000 in MSA Downtown, adjacent to old arena on waterfront near Canal Park, includes Convention Centre Visible from I-35 and Superior Street - more than one exit, walkway from downtown Parking: Dedicated parking garage being constructed with covered walkway to facility - large parking lot also available Opened: 2010 Owner: City Cost: $57M US plus $23M for the covered skywalk and parking garage Management of Centre: City Funding: State $40M, City $22M, UMD $10M, DECC $8M Major Tenant: University of Minnesota, Duluth, NCAA Division 1 Hockey 8

11 Seating Capacity: Games 6,800 Concerts 7,500 Event Days none as yet Capacity to host conferences, conventions, weddings in addition to various spectator events Features: Suites 15 plus 1 party room Press Box located on main concourse Dressing Rooms 1 for major tenant plus 4 visiting team rooms Loading and Staging Area large enough for transport truck to drive onto floor Retail Outlets UMD has one outlet Restaurants none inside, kitchen in existing DECC facility to serve new facility Hotels and Restaurants within walking distance and also accessible through covered walkway Multi-purpose Rooms available in existing DECC facility Duluth Entertainment & Convention Centre 9

12 Essar Centre City: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Population: 75,000 with total of 80,000 in MSA Site: Downtown adjacent to old facility Visibility/Access: One-way streets, crowded highly visible location Parking: 434 public spaces, free of charge Opened: 2006 replaced former Memorial Gardens Owner: City Cost: $25M Management of Centre: City Net Operating Costs: $0.3M Sponsorship: Essar Steel $1.5M paid in full under a 10 year contract, Molson $40,000/yr. pouring rights, RBC $20,000, Pinos $20,000. Major Tenant: Soo Greyhounds, Ontario Hockey League 10

13 Seating Capacity: Hockey - 4,817 Concerts - 4,500 Event Days: 110 Capacity to host Hearts Curling 2010, World Adult Hockey recreation tournament, graduations, concerts, conferences, receptions, trade shows Features: Suites 13 Press Box 12 seats plus 2 broadcaster seats and 4 video/music seats Dressing Rooms 1 for major tenant plus 5 visiting team rooms Loading and Staging area more than adequate Retail Outlets Soo Greyhound outlet on concourse Restaurants none inside facility kitchen on bottom floor to service suites Hotels and Restaurants Quality Inn and restaurant one block away, Waterfront Inn, Days Inn, Travel Lodge all within walking distance Hockey Hall of Fame photos displayed along concourse Essar Centre 11

14 General Motors Centre City: Oshawa, Ontario Population: 141,000 with total of 330,000 in MSA Site: Downtown Visibility/Access: Highly visible from the street level and accessible overall Parking: Dedicated space for suite owners and event buses and trucks limited space for public parking Opened: 2004 Owner: City Construction Cost: $45M Management of Centre: Global Spectrum Management Contract Net Operating Costs: $0.3M per year Funding: GM naming rights $75,000/yr. for 10 years Molsons, Coke, Pizza Pizza Debt Service Cost: Full P+I payment $3.5M/yr. Major Tenant: Oshawa Generals, Ontario Hockey League 12

15 Seating Capacity: Hockey 5,400 Concerts 6,400 Event Days: 80 Capacity to host regional to national events Features: Suites 23 plus 4 party suites Press Box Gondola for broadcasters, well designed press area Dressing Rooms 1 major tenant plus 5 visiting team rooms Loading and Staging Area plenty of storage Retail Outlets Oshawa Generals store inside building Restaurants 2 tier restaurant with viewing area on each level open to public during events Hotels and Restaurants nearby in downtown area Opportunity for Expansion Second sheet of ice attached to GM Place Sports Hall of Fame photos displayed on concourse General Motors Centre 13

16 Interior Savings Centre City: Population: Site: Visibility/Access: Parking: Kamloops, British Columbia 85,000 with total of 110,000 in MSA Downtown, riverfront location High visibility and accessible overall 500 public spaces within one block small dedicated parking lot parking for trucks and trailers (concerts) available at facility Opened: 1992 Cost: $23M Owner: City Management of Centre: City Net Operating Costs: $0.3M per year Sponsorship: $1.2M over 10 years naming rights Major Tenant: Kamloops Blazers, Western Hockey League 14

17 Seating Capacity: Hockey 5,000 seats Concerts - 6,400 seats Event Days: 60 to 70 Capacity to host Memorial Cup, Briar, other national sports events Features: Suites 10 Press Box large, capable of handling major events Dressing rooms 1 major tenant plus 4 visiting team rooms Loading and Staging Area very spacious for trucks and storage two 14 ft. rolling doors to allow trucks to pull onto the floor and load Retail outlets Kamloops Blazers retail outlet Restaurants none inside facility - catering supplied by outside group Hotels and Restaurants two blocks from downtown core 4 hotels in walking distance, many restaurants in close proximity Multi-purpose Rooms 2 with seating for 250, 1 with seating for 150 Hockey Hall of Fame photos in glass cases line one end of the arena Interior Savings Centre 15

18 K-Rock/Kingston Regional Sports & Entertainment Centre City: Population: Site: Visibility/Access: Parking: Kingston, Ontario 117,000 with total of 150,000 in MSA Downtown Accessible from major streets and highly visible No dedicated parking Opened: 2008 Owner: City of Kingston Cost: $46.5M Management of Centre: Arcturus: SMG Canada Management Contract Net Operating Costs: $1.1 M - paid under Management Contract Sponsorship: $165,000 per year for 10 years naming rights radio station K-Rock; $4M Provincial Government Grants; $3 M Downtown Business BIA; $3M Kingston Accommodation Partners Inc.; $3M development charges; $6.3M Reserve Funds; $2M private donations Debt Service Cost: $24.8M to be repaid from parking revenues and user fees Major Tenant: Kingston Frontenacs, Ontario Hockey League 16

19 Seating Capacity: Hockey - 5,200 Concerts - 6,800 Theatre - 3,200 Event Days: 110 Capacity to host regional and provincial games with potential for some national games - major concerts, figure skating, conferences, curling, trade shows, job fairs, graduations, receptions Features: Suites 30 Club Seats 436 club seats on lower level and 127 seats on 400 level with club lounge Press Box media broadcasting room on suite level Dressing Rooms 1 major tenant plus 4 visiting team rooms Loading and Staging Area limited space and parking Retail Outlets Kingston Frontenacs store on 100 Level Restaurants none inside facility kitchen facility to service suites Hotels and Restaurants many restaurants and hotels within walking distance in the downtown area to support all events at the K-Rock Centre K-Rock/Kingston Regional Sports & Entertainment Centre 17

20 Prospera Centre City: Chilliwack, British Columbia Population: 80,000 with total of 150,000 in MSA Site: Near other sports/recreational facilities Visibility/Access: Easy access clearly visible Parking: 520 dedicated spaces Opened: 2004 Owner: City private agreement, lease with City for 25 years Cost: $22M Management of Centre: Chief s Development Group (CDG) private management company that built and now manage facility Net Operating Costs: $1.2M Revenue: $1.3M plus advertising $300,000 Sponsorship: 10 $75,000/yr. for naming rights, other naming rights include beer, food, coffee Major Tenant: Chilliwack Bruins, Western Hockey League 18

21 Seating Capacity: Hockey 4,815 Concerts 6,000 Event Days: 49 Capacity to host National Synchronized Skating, regional BC Skating Competitions Features: Suites 13 Press Box capacity 85 Dressing Rooms 1 major tenant plus 8 visiting team rooms Loading and Staging Area trucks easily accessible two 14 ft. sliding doors Retail outlets skate shop and Chilliwack Bruins store Restaurants none inside facility restaurant attached to facility and privately operated Hotels and Restaurants 650 rooms in Chilliwack but none in walking distance, no restaurants nearby Multi-purpose Rooms 2 Practice or second sheet of ice attached to main facility Prospera Centre 19

22 Prospera Place City: Population: Site: Visibility/Access: Parking: Kelowna, British Columbia 140,000 with total of 175,000 in MSA Downtown, near waterfront Traffic flows well - high visibility Dedicated parking on site, public parking garage nearby, dedicated space for trucks and buses for concerts and teams Opened: 1999 replaced former downtown arena Owner: RG Properties privately built the facility 30 yr. lease with City and then City assumes arena Cost: $26M Management of Centre: RG Properties Sponsorship: Naming by Prospera Credit Union, pouring rights from Pepsi, beer, food company Funding: RG Properties Major Tenant: Kelowna Rockets, Western Hockey League 20

23 Seating Capacity: Hockey 6,000 seats Concerts 8,000 capacity Event Days: 70 to 80 Capacity to host Memorial Cup, Team Canada Exhibition Games, World Junior Games, Skate Canada Features: Suites 31 Club seats 850 Press Box well equipped and large Dressing Rooms 1 major tenant plus 5 visiting team rooms Loading and Staging Area 14 ft. high- double wide door to allow trucks to pull onto ice Retail Outlets WHL team store opens to outside as well as inside facility Restaurants 250 seat restaurant located at far end of arena with seats overlooking the arena open for events only club seat lounge available during events also Hotels and Restaurants Delta Hotel across street on waterfront, many others available in walking distance many restaurants are available Multi-purpose Rooms rooms available Prospera Place 21

24 Sleeman Centre City: Guelph, Ontario Population: 115,000 with total of 127,000 in MSA Site: Downtown Visibility/Access: Visible from only one side since remainder is part of the mall access from downtown streets Parking: Public parking levels for mall since there is limited parking for facility otherwise downtown streets Opened: 2000 Owner: City co-signed mortgage with private company Cost: $25M Management of Centre: privately operated for 5 yrs. and then City took over in 2006 Net Operating Costs: $0.23M per year Sponsorship: $1M over 13 years Major Tenant: Guelph Storm, Ontario Hockey League 22

25 Seating Capacity: Hockey - 4,800 seats attendance has increased each year at facility Concerts - 5,100 Event Days: 85 Capacity to host national events such as wrestling, curling, NHL Old Timers Hockey, Memorial Cup Features: Suites - 27 Club Seats 322 plus 178 VIP seats Press Box large, accommodating press, visiting team broadcaster, video Dressing Rooms 1 major tenant plus 4 visiting team rooms Loading and Staging Area adequate for minor shows Retail Outlets mall, Guelph Storm s outlet located in the mall Hotel and Restaurants one restaurant built on site for events only food service breaks even - restaurants in mall accommodations for conferences, hotel space, restaurants, retail all available downtown Sleeman Centre 23

26 Tyson Events Centre City: Sioux City, Iowa Population: 83,000 with a total of 175,000 in MSA Site: Downtown Visibility/Access: 5 entrance locations highly visible (all four sides) Parking: 1,091 parking spaces 124 designated for suites Opened: Owner: Cost: Management of Centre: Net Operating Costs: Sponsorship: Major Tenant: 2003 replaced auditorium City $53M US City $0.9M Naming rights sold to Tyson Foods and Gateway Computers, $5M spread over 20 yrs. Sioux City Musketeers, United States Hockey League, Sioux City Bandits, Indoor Football League 24

27 Seating Capacity: Hockey 6,000 Concerts 9,500 Indoor Football 9,500 Event Days: 100+ Capacity to host National Women s Basketball and Volleyball Tournaments, National Men s Wrestling, US Olympic Qualifier Features: Suites 27 Club Seats none Press Box designated by client - usually on concourse level Dressing Rooms 1 major tenant plus 4 visiting team rooms Loading and Staging Area inadequate storage space Retail Outlets none Restaurants none catering Hotels and Restaurants 5 hotels Multi-purpose Rooms rooms and space available throughout the Tyson Event Centre Tyson Events Centre 25

28 Comparative Summary Table Name City Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre Abbotsford, BC Duluth Entertainment & Convention Centre Duluth, Minnesota Essar Centre Sault Ste. Marie, ON General Motors Centre Oshawa, ON Interior Savings Centre Kamloops, BC K-Rock Kingston, ON Prospera Centre Prospera Centre Chilliwack, BC Kelowna, BC Sleeman Centre Guelph, ON Tyson Events Centre Sioux City, Iowa * MSA - market service area Population City MSA* +/- (000s) Site Location Date Opened Capital Cost Seating Net Operating Hockey Concerts Event Days Suites Parking industrial area downtown waterfront 2009 $66M Not available 6,855 7, est. 24 No dedicated paid parking - located in private lots and college property 2010 $57M + N/A 6,800 7,500 n/a 16 Dedicated parking garage and open spaces downtown 2006 $25M $0.3M 4,817 4, free public spaces downtown 2004 $45M $0.3M 5,400 6, Dedicated spaces for suite owners limited dedicated public and private spaces downtown downtown waterfront 1992 $23M $0.3M 5,000 6, public spaces within one block, small dedicated lot downtown 2008 $46.5M $1.1M 5,200 6, No dedicated parking recreational area downtown waterfront 2004 $22M $1.2M 4,815 6, dedicated spaces 1999 $26M Not available 6,000 8, Dedicated parking on site, public parking garage nearby downtown 2000 $25M $0.23M 4,800 5, Public parking within mall, downtown streets downtown 2003 $53M $0.9M 6,000 9, ,091 spaces, 124 designated for suites 26 26

29 Contact List Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre Trey Bell, General Manager King Rd. Abbotsford, BC V2S 8H8 Tel Essar Centre Norm Fera, Facility Manager 269 Queen Street East Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A IY9 Tel Duluth Entertainment and Convention Centre Brian Morris, Project Manager 11E Superior Street, Suite 340 Duluth, MN Tel ext General Motors Centre Vince Vella, General Manager 99 Athol Street East Oshawa, ON L1H 1J8 Tel Ext Interior Savings Centre Tony Carlucci, Arena Manager 300 Lorne Street Kamloops, BC V2C 1W3 Tel K-Rock Centre Ken Noakes, General Manager 1 Barrack Street Kingston, ON K7K 0B4 Tel knoakes@k-rockcentre.com Prospera Place Wayne Pansegrau, Manager of Operations 1223 Water Street Kelowna, BC V1Y 9V1 Tel wayne.pansegrau@prosperaplace.com Prospera Centre Lars Larson, Manager Hodgins Ave. Chilliwack, BC V2P 8G1 Tel llarson@prosperacentre.com Sleeman Centre Rich Grau, Facility Manager 50 Woolwich Street Guelph, ON N1H 3V1 Tel Ext erich.grau@guelph.ca Tyson Events Centre Glenn Walinski, Facility Manager 401 Gordon Drive Sioux City, Iowa Tel gwalinski@sioux-city.org 27

30 Appendix A History of the Fort William Gardens The Fort William Gardens (the Gardens ) was opened in 1951in the vicinity of McKellar Park and the old Prince of Wales Rink. The land available to the City was not large enough to accommodate the new building, since the Fort William Curling Club was situated on a portion of the site. In a gesture of support for the new facility, the Curling Club agreed to the demolition of the old clubhouse and the construction of a new facility within the new building. The Board of Directors appointed Mr. Ralph Gorill of Toronto to the position of Promotor-Manager of the Gardens. His first task was to promote senior, junior, and pee wee hockey, since hockey was the No. 1 sport at the Lakehead. In addition to hockey, basketball, roller skating, ice skating, wrestling, and boxing were also promoted at the Gardens. As far as cultural activities were concerned, live bands and orchestras for concerts, sportsmen s shows were also on the program. The Civic Recreation Committee was quite vocal in its support of the plans for the Gardens, stating that the facility will definitely add to the physical and cultural recreation programme in our city. As early as 1952, concerns had been expressed over the integrity of the Fort William Gardens structure. Subsequent inspections declared the facility to be safe. Twenty years later, however, there was again cause for concern over the safety of the Fort William Gardens. A fire inspection in 1971 resulted in a number of alterations to the building, including additional fire extinguishers and a sprinkler system. The major concern has been over the safety of the roof. Major repairs were done in 1974 by the Conenco West Engineering Limited under the supervision of W.L. Wardrop and Associates Limited. Also involved in the project were Northwestern Structural Steel and Barnett-McQueen Company Limited. Unfortunately, some of the cables installed to support the roof corroded and were deemed unreliable. In fact, in 1977, a recommendation was voiced that the City should tear down the Gardens. In 1980 an agreement was entered into with W.L. Wardrop and Associates Limited for a comprehensive inspection of the Fort William Gardens roof system. Further repairs resulted from this inspection, as well as the establishment of a Committee to consider the future of the Fort William Gardens. A decision was made to continue with the operation of the Fort William Gardens as in the past, with annual monitoring of the roof system. Also recommended by W.M. Slater and Associates Inc. was a thorough inspection to be carried out in 1985 if no plans were made to replace the entire roof. In 1994, $5.4M was dedicated to retrofit the Gardens e.g. fire alarms, a sprinkler system, heating/ventilation, widened vomitories and stairs, and new seats/dressing rooms/washrooms. In addition, the roof was replaced and the steam boiler was replaced with hot water. The building now has a structural report every five years. Despite the structural problems associated with the Fort William Gardens, the facility has proven a valuable asset to the recreational and cultural life of residents of Thunder Bay. The Shrine Circus is held in the Gardens annually, as well as trade shows, car shows, home shows and folklore festivals. Special events have included performances by popular bands, the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, the Fort William Male Choir and the National Ballet of Canada. Built on land which has traditionally been used for sports and recreational pursuits since before the turn of the century, the Fort William Gardens is the largest of the indoor artificial ice structures, serving leisureseekers of all ages for the past five decades. 28

31 Notes 29

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33 Contact Tim Commisso, City Manager PO Box 800, 500 Donald Street, East Thunder Bay, ON P7C 5K4 Tel: (807)