Maple Leaf Gardens

Conn Smythe led the financing and construction of Maple Leaf Gardens at the northwest corner of Carlton and Church Streets. Remarkably, construction began June 1, 1931, and the building opened just over five months later, on November 12, 1931, at a cost of roughly $1.5 million, built largely with unionized labour that in some cases accepted stock in lieu of full wages during the Depression. It quickly earned the nickname "the Cathedral of Hockey."

68 years as the Leafs' home

Maple Leaf Gardens served as the Toronto Maple Leafs' home arena for 68 years, hosting Stanley Cup championships and the first nationally broadcast NHL radio broadcasts via Foster Hewitt. Beyond hockey, it hosted boxing, concerts — the Beatles played there in 1964 and 1965 — and other major public events. The Leafs played their final regular-season game at the Gardens in February 1999 before moving to the new Air Canada Centre, now Scotiabank Arena.

A grocery store and a university rink

After sitting partly dormant, the building's future was secured through a 2004 purchase agreement between Loblaw Companies and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, followed by a 2009 partnership investing about $60 million in redevelopment. The lower level reopened as a flagship Loblaws grocery store in 2010, while the upper level reopened in 2012 as the Mattamy Athletic Centre, home to Toronto Metropolitan University's varsity hockey and basketball — preserving the arena's bowl inside a modern retail and athletic hybrid.

Sources

• ERA Architects — Maple Leaf Gardens
• Mattamy Athletic Centre — History of Maple Leaf Gardens