Great thread!
Killion I love your knowledge for this stuff espescially the old Winnipeg barns!
While I only recall the 'Queen' in Winnipeg as family moved to Edmonton when I was 5 in 1970, I still have a soft spot.
Also would like to see someone post some pics of the old Edmonton Garden. It had fantastic natural ice I believe, obstructed views, but had character!
Thanks again
.... Love the old buildings so sure, pleasure to share.... I never played at the old Winnipeg Arena but I knew guys who had, another who worked there during the 70's..... As for the Edmonton Gardens, thats another grand old Lady, long gone of course. Opening in 1913.... aka the "Agricultural & Livestock Pavilion" as well as the "Cow Barn", a name also applied to San Francisco's arena though a bit grander; "Cow Palace" and of later vintage out of which the Sharks' first played. Odorous to say the least after the Rodeo had been in town. Edmonton Gardens sat around 5000 for hockey & yep, had obstructed seating as it like a lot of other early buildings (Hamiltons' "Forum" for eg) had steel girders buttressing the boards from the foundations to the steel roof trusses...
.... now, these not only obstructed the spectators view but surely as well had to have been seriously dangerous to the life & limb of the players, solid check or boarding &
BAM! Your head (and no helmet) hitting an immovable object, cold, hard steel.. Additionally they & the trusses "dripped" moisture, pools on the ice, like disgusting rust colored ant hills blotting the surface, the wooden floors running elsewhere, slippery, oily & blackened from years of livestock & other usage. Washrooms & dressing rooms so bad youd've been wise to get a tetanus shot before entering the building. The beams were eventually removed & replaced, re-configured in a fairly expensive reno, home to the WHA club for a couple of years before Northlands opened; home to the Oilers (and others) Jr. & Sr. teams & so on.....
Building wouldnt die. When it came time to take er' down, packed, loaded with TNT & barely a shudder. Still standing. Built beyond tough. They tried again however even then just wouldnt crater, eventually having to bring in the wrecking ball. There are some photos of the Edmonton Gardens, Hamiltons Forum & a few others of the same design floating around here & on the net.... I'll see what I can dig up.... including the Thistle Arena, which was Edmontons main rink before even the Gardens.
Heres an interesting site that features current and old OHL & WHL etc arenas with photo's & descriptions that Im sure you'll find interesting....
www.ohlarenaguide.com
