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| Westmount Arena | |
|---|---|
| Name | Westmount Arena |
| Caption | Exterior of the arena in the 1950s |
| Location | Westmount, Quebec, Canada |
| Opened | 1924 |
| Closed | 2006 |
| Demolished | 2007 |
| Owner | City of Westmount |
| Capacity | 4,000 (approx.) |
| Surface | Natural ice (original), artificial refrigeration later |
Westmount Arena was an indoor ice rink and multi-purpose venue in Westmount, Quebec that operated from 1924 until its closure in 2006 and subsequent demolition in 2007. The arena hosted professional hockey clubs, amateur teams, figure skating, boxing, concerts, and community events, becoming a focal point for Montreal’s sporting and cultural life through much of the 20th century. Its roles intersected with organizations such as the National Hockey League, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, and the Montreal Maroons, and with personalities from Art Ross to local civic leaders.
The arena opened in 1924 during an era marked by the growth of indoor arenas like Madison Square Garden and the expansion of the National Hockey League in North America. Early tenants included the NHL’s Montreal Maroons, who sought a venue distinct from the Montreal Forum while competing for fans alongside teams such as the Montreal Canadiens. Over ensuing decades the building hosted amateur and junior clubs affiliated with bodies like the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and the Quebec Junior Hockey League.
During World War II the facility continued operations even as other venues assisted wartime efforts, paralleling institutions such as the Canadian National Exhibition and drawing comparisons to arenas in cities like Toronto and Boston. Postwar developments—refrigeration technology adopted similarly to arenas like Boston Garden—allowed extended seasons and figure skating events linked to figures and clubs associated with the Canadian Figure Skating Championships. Municipal ownership and decisions by the City of Westmount shaped the site’s maintenance, refurbishment efforts, and eventual closure amid debates resembling urban redevelopment controversies in places such as Vancouver and Montreal boroughs.
Constructed with a wood-and-steel frame typical of early 20th-century Canadian arenas, the venue’s design paralleled contemporaries including Polo Grounds (New York City)-era structures and retained a classic horseshoe seating plan akin to older rinks like the Edmonton Gardens. The ice surface originally used natural freezing methods before installation of mechanical refrigeration comparable to systems at the Maple Leaf Gardens.
Facilities comprised seating for roughly 3,500–4,000 spectators, player dressing rooms used by teams affiliated with organizations such as the National Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and ancillary spaces for community groups like the YMCA and Kiwanis International that rented the arena for events. Sightlines and acoustics supported boxing matches reminiscent of cards promoted in venues tied to figures such as Tex Rickard and musical performances hosting artists in touring circuits that included promoters from Toronto and New York City.
The arena staged professional hockey when the Montreal Maroons played there, and later hosted junior and senior clubs that fed into national competitions overseen by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and provincial tournaments involving the Quebec Hockey Federation. It saw games featuring future stars who progressed to clubs such as the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, and Chicago Blackhawks.
Beyond hockey, events included boxing bouts attracting names on par with regional contenders nurtured in arenas across Ontario and Quebec, figure skating competitions tied to athletes who competed at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships and international meets, and community leagues connected to organizations like the Boy Scouts of Canada. Interprovincial tournaments occasionally brought teams from New Brunswick, Ontario, and Nova Scotia.
As a civic venue the facility hosted concerts, graduations for schools such as McGill University-affiliated institutions and private academies in Montreal, charity galas run by organizations like the Red Cross and United Way, and political rallies involving figures from provincial politics in Quebec. It served as a rehearsal and performance space for local performing arts companies linked to scenes in Montreal and provided ice time for public-skating sessions promoted by municipal recreation departments similar to those in Toronto and Vancouver.
Community groups including local historical societies and veterans’ organizations staged commemorations that echoed ceremonies held at memorial sites like Mount Royal and civic squares across Quebec. The arena’s role in neighbourhood identity reflected patterns seen in suburbs such as Westmount’s contemporaries: Outremont, Verdun, and Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie.
Memorable sporting moments included playoff games with high local interest, appearances by players later inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and marquee amateur finals that paralleled national championships overseen by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. Notable incidents involved infrastructure challenges typical of aging arenas—roof repairs, mechanical failures, and debates over maintenance costs—mirroring controversies faced by arenas like Baltimore Civic Center and St. Louis Arena before their replacement.
The venue also experienced community disputes regarding preservation versus redevelopment, echoing debates around heritage sites such as Habitat 67 adjacent controversies and municipal decisions that shaped urban landscapes in Montreal and other Canadian cities.
Following closure in 2006 and demolition in 2007, the site became a focal point for redevelopment proposals and heritage discussions involving actors like municipal councils, preservationists tied to organizations such as the Heritage Canada Foundation, and private developers operating in the Greater Montreal region. Proposals for replacement facilities, community centres, and residential development reflected wider trends in urban infill and adaptive reuse championed in cities such as Toronto and Vancouver.
Although the physical structure no longer stands, the arena’s legacy persists in local memory, archival materials held by institutions such as the McCord Museum and the Archives nationales du Québec, and in the careers of athletes and performers who passed through its doors en route to clubs like the Montreal Canadiens and organizations across North America. The debates it spurred about heritage conservation and municipal planning remain part of civic discourse in Westmount and the surrounding Montreal metropolitan area.
Category:Sports venues in Montreal Category:Defunct indoor arenas in Canada