Perry Street Arena
The Perry Street Arena was demolished on June 19, 1996. It now is the site of the Gallery Cinemas. The arena was opened on January 6, 1914.
The original building was constructed of brick and interior steel supports. The arena measured 200ft long by 118ft wide. It was capped with a skylight similar to the Market Square Building. The skylight was constructed of glass, and was 150ft long by 6ft in height. There were also large wall windows.
The arena was at that time, 'state of the art in Canada', and it was the 2nd arena in Canada to have an automatic stop time clock . . . The arena hosted many activities over the years including, hockey, lacrosse, roller hockey, roller skating, wrestling, boxing, circus, dances, bands (of the time), and of course many ice figure skating shows (which were usually sold out).
Many famous people graced the ice including hockey players Howie Morenz, Maurice Richard, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Walter and Wayne Gretzky, Bernie Nicholls, Mike Craig and figure skaters Elvis Stojko, Lloyd Eisler, Isabelle Brasseur and Petra Burka.
When the Perry Street Arena closed on April 20, 1996, it was the oldest rink in Ontario. Prior to the building of the arena, there was an outdoor rink on the north side of Canterbury St. about mid-way between Riddell St. and Wellington St. Many people and children also skated on the mill pond which was located on Mill St. where MacIntosh Park (named after the mill) is located. "
The City purchased the Arena in 1948. It then installed artificial ice making equipment, which extended the playing season and improved revenues. In time, however, the constant freezing of the ground under the ice in winter and its thawing in summer caused the floor to heave up and split. By about 1989, the situation had worsened so much that it was decided to leave the ice-making compressor running all the time. The rink was then covered by boards when any non-ice event was presented in Summer months. However, the ice below made it very cold around the legs for the performers!
In time, standards tightened and public expectations changed. In the Arena's last days, its aisles were considered too narrow; its washrooms inadequate; its plant operations inefficient, and there was no wheel-chair access. The ground under the building had by then become permafrost, and very unstable. Eventually, it was decided that the building was not only inadequate, its structure was unsafe. It closed at last on April 20, 1996 after 82 years of service. Two months later, at 7:35 p.m. on June 20, 1996, a demolition crew brought the roof of the Arena crashing to the ground after several week's work. About 100 spectators watched the Perrydome's final spectacular.
Sources:
- 'Perry Street Arena,' Sentinel Review, April 20, 1996 (Woodstock Public Library microfilm);
- 'Going, going, gone,' Sentinel Review, June 20, 1996 (Woodstock Public Library microfilm)
-Woodstock museum
The original building was constructed of brick and interior steel supports. The arena measured 200ft long by 118ft wide. It was capped with a skylight similar to the Market Square Building. The skylight was constructed of glass, and was 150ft long by 6ft in height. There were also large wall windows.
The arena was at that time, 'state of the art in Canada', and it was the 2nd arena in Canada to have an automatic stop time clock . . . The arena hosted many activities over the years including, hockey, lacrosse, roller hockey, roller skating, wrestling, boxing, circus, dances, bands (of the time), and of course many ice figure skating shows (which were usually sold out).
Many famous people graced the ice including hockey players Howie Morenz, Maurice Richard, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Walter and Wayne Gretzky, Bernie Nicholls, Mike Craig and figure skaters Elvis Stojko, Lloyd Eisler, Isabelle Brasseur and Petra Burka.
When the Perry Street Arena closed on April 20, 1996, it was the oldest rink in Ontario. Prior to the building of the arena, there was an outdoor rink on the north side of Canterbury St. about mid-way between Riddell St. and Wellington St. Many people and children also skated on the mill pond which was located on Mill St. where MacIntosh Park (named after the mill) is located. "
The City purchased the Arena in 1948. It then installed artificial ice making equipment, which extended the playing season and improved revenues. In time, however, the constant freezing of the ground under the ice in winter and its thawing in summer caused the floor to heave up and split. By about 1989, the situation had worsened so much that it was decided to leave the ice-making compressor running all the time. The rink was then covered by boards when any non-ice event was presented in Summer months. However, the ice below made it very cold around the legs for the performers!
In time, standards tightened and public expectations changed. In the Arena's last days, its aisles were considered too narrow; its washrooms inadequate; its plant operations inefficient, and there was no wheel-chair access. The ground under the building had by then become permafrost, and very unstable. Eventually, it was decided that the building was not only inadequate, its structure was unsafe. It closed at last on April 20, 1996 after 82 years of service. Two months later, at 7:35 p.m. on June 20, 1996, a demolition crew brought the roof of the Arena crashing to the ground after several week's work. About 100 spectators watched the Perrydome's final spectacular.
Sources:
- 'Perry Street Arena,' Sentinel Review, April 20, 1996 (Woodstock Public Library microfilm);
- 'Going, going, gone,' Sentinel Review, June 20, 1996 (Woodstock Public Library microfilm)
-Woodstock museum
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