ICE RINKS AND ARENAS
by Ross W. Irwin

In early days the Speed River between Allan's Mill and the Eramosa bridge provided natural ice skating, for those who could afford to own skates. It was more popular than the closed rinks. There were large crowds on the ice as well as spectators along the bank Open air skating was also provided on the flats below the Holloday brewery and in 1888 on the race track at Exhibition Park. Parks superintendent Nichol flooded two rinks on the Speed River in the 1920's. Open air rinks continue to be popular in local neighbourhoods.

Curling was also an early sport played on the river. However, scheduled events are highly dependent on the weather so indoor rinks were planned. A subscription was taken Sep 9, 1868 to build a new curling and skating rink.

The Guelph Skating Rink Company built the first covered rink in the town. It was built in 1869. A wooden rink at Huskisson and Wellington Streets opposite Presant's Mill. The door and dressing rooms faced Huskisson St. An 18-foot addition was made on the north side in 1870. This rink was used for skating and curling. About four carnivals were held each year, the last usually in March, depending on the weather.

The Speed Skating Rink Co. was incorporated in 1881 and opened their new stone rink in December 1882. It had a short life. The Guelph Junction Railway took about 30 ft off the end of the building in 1888 and it was then converted to a freight office. Shareholders were paid 70¢ on the dollar when it was wound up in 1890. In its short life there were many carnivals, skating to the City Band and school exercises held in the building. The building burned May 19,1991.

In 1889 the Guelph Curling and Skating Club leased for 99 years a portion of Central Park (the Old Burying Ground) for $50 a year from the city and built a wooden rink behind Knox church which they named the Victoria Rink. This burned in 1892. The rink was rebuilt only to have it burn again in 1914. It was again rebuilt, but smaller for curling, and the remainder of the space used as a lawn bowling green. Opened December 19, 1914. The rink was used for ice skating and curling in winter and as a roller rink in summer (500 skaters and 1,000 spectators). The maple floor was sanded weekly. The rink was used for the Guelph Fat Stock Show until the Winter Fair Building was erected in 1900.

The club could not pay rent to the city and gave up their lease in 1936. The city sold the rink to the Guelph Curling and Skating Club for $1. It was used until 1965 when the city bought it back for a parking lot.

A.B. Petrie, a sportsman and druggist built a large white brick building on Wellington Street near Gordon, called the Petrie Rink. It also had athletic space at rear south to the boathouse. This rink opened a large white brick in 1898 and included a gymnasium indoor swimming pool and bath. Unfortunately it was not popular since the roof support timbers were embedded in the ice surface. A 5-piece band entertained the skaters. The rink was gutted by fire in 1954 and was removed in 1965 for a Canadian tire Store.

The Cambridge Street Arena, was a corrugated metal clad steel structure built by the Guelph Arena Co on Cambridge Street, now Commercial Street, and was used for skating, hockey, dances. It 1925 it became the Cambridge Ice Palace. Maintenance was high and the arena was sold to Roy "Swat" Mason in 1936. He sold the building to the Royal Dairy in 1941 but it continued to be used as an arena until 1947. It then became a storage garage for the dairy. It was removed about 1968 for a Red Barn.

Guelph Memorial Gardens

In 1884 the Ontario Provincial Fat Stock Show came to Guelph and was held in hotel stables. It met several more times and decided to move to Brantford where permanent accommodation was available. Guelph decided to build them a site west of City Hall on Market Square. A stone faced, two storey building was opened in December 1900. The show was now called the Provincial Winter Fair and in December 1909 an annex was made to the building. The large show ring was used for a hockey arena. The Winter Fair building housed troops in WW I and the Provincial Winter Fair moved to Toronto in 1922. The military also controlled the building from February 1940 to June 1946.

The original plan of the city was to build a recreation centre. Jenkins and Wright, architects, planned a renovation of the 1900 Winter Fair building. Dario Pagani was the prime contractor at cost plus 15% as material was still rationed. In June 1947 a motion of city council moved a new hockey arena be dedicated as a War Memorial and be named "Guelph Memorial Arena", and that a suitable bronze plaque be prepared and erected at the end of the arena surmounted by an illuminated picture of the king and bordered by flags. The names for the plaque were researched by the Ladies Auxiliary of the 16/43 Battery. The name was changed to "Guelph Memorial Gardens" in June 1948. It was officially opened 11 Nov 1948.

The Winter Fair Annex was taken down in 1968 and a new entrance to the Gardens was made.

New arenas constructed:-

1965 - Exhibition Arena, Division St.

1967 - Centennial Arena, College Av

1975 - Victoria Road Recreation Centre, Victoria Rd

2001 - West End arena, Paisley Rd