The Sudbury Community Arena is a multi-purpose arena in the downtown core of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. It was built in 1951, on the site of the former Central Public School, at a cost of $700,000. The approval and construction of the arena was overseen by Sudbury Mayor Bill Beaton.[1] It is home to the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League.
It has an ice surface of 200' x 85', with a capacity of 4,640 seated, 5,100 standing and is wheelchair accessible.
During the summer of 2007, the arena underwent extensive renovations, which added 12 private boxes and a new club seating section, with padded seats and refreshments services along with new washrooms, concession stand and lounge. Seating was sacrificed to make way for the improvements. Standing room capacity was shrunk from 1,000 to 500, while seating capacity was dropped by 150. The new arena capacity, with standing room patrons, became 5,100, down from 5,750.[2]
On November 5, 2015, a life size statue of Stompin' Tom Connors was unveiled on the grounds of the arena. The reason behind the statue was due to one of Connors' most famous songs, Sudbury Saturday Night.[3]
The arena is featured extensively in the Canadian television show Shoresy, where it serves as home of the fictional Senior hockey Sudbury Bulldogs.[4]
Occasionally, other events, such as concerts or ice skating, have taken place at the arena; on May 29, 1998, country musicianShania Twain kicked-off her debut tour, the Come On Over Tour, at the arena.
In 2024, with the structure nearing its time to be renovated or replaced, city council tentatively approved a plan to construct a new arena within the block immediately east of the current structure.[5]
Gallery
Exterior
Sudbury Wolves Goal Celebration
Statue of Stompin' Tom Connors
References
^C.M. Wallace, Ashley Thompson (1993). Sudbury: rail town to regional capital. Dundurn Press. ISBN1-55002-170-2.
