Varsity Arena
Encyclopedia
Varsity Arena is an arena
in Toronto, Ontario. It is located at 299 Bloor Street West and is primarily home to the ice hockey teams of the University of Toronto
, the Varsity Blues
, though it also hosted the Toronto Toros
of the WHA
from 1973–74 and the Toronto Planets
of the RHI
in 1993. It opened on December 17, 1926.
One of the first indoor arenas to be built without pillars in the seating
area blocking the line of sight, Varsity Arena sat close to 4,800 in double wooden chairs at the time of its construction. It was designed by Professor T. R. Loudon along with architects Messers. Pearson and Darling
and had an interior volume of 151595 cubic metres (5,353,526.8 cu ft). Originally the floor under the ice surface consisted of iron pipes covered in sand.
The seating capacity
was reduced to 4,116 by renovations in 1985-86, which expanded the ice sheet to professional standards and eliminated fire code violations that had been found in 1977. The current gross floor area is 6560.03 square metres (7,845.7 sq yd).
It is also the home of the University of Toronto Intramural hockey league, which comprises (as of the Winter term of 2006) of forty-six men's and eight women's teams of varying skill levels (from recreational to near-varsity calibre) competing in six men's and two women's divisions.
The university also uses the arena to host examinations.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Toronto, Ontario. It is located at 299 Bloor Street West and is primarily home to the ice hockey teams of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, the Varsity Blues
Varsity Blues
The Varsity Blues is the name for the intercollegiate sports program at the University of Toronto. Its 26 athletic teams regularly participate in competitions held by Ontario University Athletics and Canadian Interuniversity Sport. The Varsity Blues traces its founding to 1877, with the formation...
, though it also hosted the Toronto Toros
Toronto Toros
The Toronto Toros were an ice hockey team based in Toronto that played in the World Hockey Association from 1973 to 1976.The franchise was awarded to Doug Michel in 1971 to play in the WHA's inaugural 1972–73 season...
of the WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
from 1973–74 and the Toronto Planets
Toronto Planets
The Toronto Planets were a team in the Roller Hockey International league. The Planets played their home games at Varsity Arena during the league's first season in 1993, but folded at the conclusion of the season....
of the RHI
Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International was a professional inline hockey league that operated in North America from 1993 to 1999. It was the first major professional league for inline hockey....
in 1993. It opened on December 17, 1926.
One of the first indoor arenas to be built without pillars in the seating
area blocking the line of sight, Varsity Arena sat close to 4,800 in double wooden chairs at the time of its construction. It was designed by Professor T. R. Loudon along with architects Messers. Pearson and Darling
Pearson and Darling
Pearson and Darling was an architectural firm based in Toronto from 1897 through 1923, a key player in shaping the urban look of the city and the rest of Canada in the first half of the 20th century.-Formation:...
and had an interior volume of 151595 cubic metres (5,353,526.8 cu ft). Originally the floor under the ice surface consisted of iron pipes covered in sand.
The seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
was reduced to 4,116 by renovations in 1985-86, which expanded the ice sheet to professional standards and eliminated fire code violations that had been found in 1977. The current gross floor area is 6560.03 square metres (7,845.7 sq yd).
It is also the home of the University of Toronto Intramural hockey league, which comprises (as of the Winter term of 2006) of forty-six men's and eight women's teams of varying skill levels (from recreational to near-varsity calibre) competing in six men's and two women's divisions.
The university also uses the arena to host examinations.
See also
- Maple Leaf GardensMaple Leaf GardensMaple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
- Ricoh ColiseumRicoh ColiseumRicoh Coliseum is an ice hockey and agricultural arena at Exhibition Place in Toronto. It serves as the home arena of the Toronto Marlies, the American Hockey League farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Toronto Triumph of the Lingerie Football League. It was formerly known as the CNE...
- Air Canada CentreAir Canada CentreThe Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
- Varsity Arena
- Varsity StadiumVarsity StadiumVarsity Stadium is a collegiate football stadium that is home to the Varsity Blues, the athletic teams of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. While the present structure was built in 2007, it is in fact the third major incarnation of the stadium that has occupied the same site...
- University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
- Beatrice Ice GardensBeatrice Ice GardensCanlan Ice Sports - York is the main ice rink at York University and replaces the old York University Ice Palace. It opened in 1996 as the Beatrice Ice Gardens. The arena is one of the largest in the city of Toronto and features six ice pads including one of Olympic size. The arena has been used in...