Any truth to Colony Farm, Coquitlam as land to build Rogers Arena originally?

[Ziostilon]

Years back, i remember Don Taylor mentioned the land in Colony Farm, Coquitlam could've been used to build GM Place on

So instead of the current downtown location, it could've been in the suburbs. Alike some other NHL rinks

Imagine if they did do that during the 90s. This team would've definitely moved when the dollar was that low

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[Seattle Totems]

The Rogers Arena site was selected because of it's downtown location and access to skytrain. Colony Farms is in the middle of nowhere.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

I would have loved that, I live by there.

 

[VanJack]

Would have been another Glendale, Arizona, except in the '90's, McCaw and Orca Bay would have moved the franchise for sure.

 

[Hit the post]

I dunno about moving the franchise being that much a certainty. Remember that they own the arena - what value would that arena have out in the middle of nowhere? Who the heck would buy that from them? Sure it would have some value but nowhere near what that building would have where Rogers arena sits.

 

[groov2]

Nope. The plan was always to put it right where it is.

 

[Hardyvan123]

The Rogers Arena site was selected because of it's downtown location and access to skytrain. Colony Farms is in the middle of nowhere.

pretty much this.

The talk was to build a new track out there as well but it would have been a transportation nightmare and it's literally in the middle of nowhere, even more so back when it was floated..

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

yeah I'd want to see a non-don taylor source on this before I believe it

 

[groov2]

yeah I'd want to see a non-don taylor source on this before I believe it

Just got confirmation. It was never going in Coquitlam. Its location is where they always intended for it to be built.

 

[MS]

I'm sure they did their due diligence on the economics of playing in the suburbs and possibly even scouted out some potential locations, but I'm equally sure it was never any sort of realistic possibility.

 

[PG Canuck]

Isn't it the same in Ottawa right now, where their rink is in the middle of nowhere? They struggle.

I think it's in a perfect place.

 

[Jyrki21]

Isn't it the same in Ottawa right now, where their rink is in the middle of nowhere? They struggle.

The Senators don't really "struggle", although as a smaller market (and a government town with less corporate presence) their ticket prices are obviously lower than the TOR, MTL and VAN comparables. And the decline in the dollar will definitely hit the ownership hard.

But the Kanata thing is overstated. Even though the location is annoying just because it's very suburban (and ironically there is still talk of sticking the team where everyone wanted it in the first place, once the Scotiabank Tire Corel Palladium has run its course), the location isn't nearly as bad as people make it sound, geographically.

Ottawa is a smaller and less populous city than Vancouver. The distance from downtown Ottawa to the arena is shorter than the distance from downtown Vancouver to a number of Lower Mainland suburbs that are more directly connected to the urban core. The only reason Kanata seems like anything other than the western part of Ottawa (which it technically is, as the Ottawa municipal boundaries are stupidly enormous) is because there is a greenbelt around the urban core so that you pass through a brief period of nothingness before you enter Kanata proper. But driving wise, it only takes a few minutes when traffic is good.

Ottawa has fewer cars on the road than the Lower Mainland, a less pronounced rush-hour, and a pretty decent highway running east-west through the whole city. There is definitely congestion on game nights, but it is far more manageable than trying to cut a similar distance through the city streets of greater Vancouver, for example. And it's nothing compared to the 401 in Toronto, Aut-40 in Montreal or I-5 in Seattle.

The main reason it sucks is because there is little around the arena, so there isn't much of a spillover for local business or a post-game environment. But in terms of pure location, the downsides are exaggerated. The Senators still do pretty well at the gate.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I would have loved that, I live by there.

I live a stone's throw away. Not really doable. There is a First Nations Reserve on site.

Isn't it the same in Ottawa right now, where their rink is in the middle of nowhere? They struggle.

I think it's in a perfect place.

Wow, thanks.

Seriously, though. The rink is in the right place. It being jammed between the 2 viaducts really help the sight-lines. As I've said before. There is no bad seat in the building.

As for the rumour, most likely just wishful thinking from DT as he is familiar with the area. The 1st Nations reserve has been there as far as I can remember and they would never let it happen. Not sure how long that prison or whatever has been there, but that's been there as far as I can recall as well. Not to mention the damn river running right down the middle of it.

Also, I rue the day I let Colony Farms being mentioned as part of Coquitlam! But that's my opinion.

 

[jd22]

I live a stone's throw away. Not really doable. There is a First Nations Reserve on site.



Wow, thanks.

Seriously, though. The rink is in the right place. It being jammed between the 2 viaducts really help the sight-lines. As I've said before. There is no bad seat in the building.

As for the rumour, most likely just wishful thinking from DT as he is familiar with the area. The 1st Nations reserve has been there as far as I can remember and they would never let it happen. Not sure how long that prison or whatever has been there, but that's been there as far as I can recall as well. Not to mention the damn river running right down the middle of it.

Also, I rue the day I let Colony Farms being mentioned as part of Coquitlam! But that's my opinion.

Half of it is in Coquitlam. The Coquitlam River is the divider between Poco and Coquitlam, I'm certain.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

Half of it is in Coquitlam. The Coquitlam River is the divider between Poco and Coquitlam, I'm certain.

This is true. However I'm a stubborn SOB.

 

[lawrence]

LOL guys, its a joke. you guys actually fell for it? he does that sometimes, keep in mind Don Taylor is from Coquitlam.

 

[Captain Bowie]

That never would have happened. Pacific Coliseum is hard enough to get to as it is!