FirstOntario Centre (aka Copps Coliseum) | ? | 4 fl | Proposed

[hammerthrow]

I have so many memories there. From the countless concerts, WWF, monster trucks, hockey from the steelhawks, canucks, dukes, bulldogs, juniors, canada cup, 3 on 3 league (remember that!? when the NHL was on strike?)... I remember being a kid and going to talk with walter gretzky in the stands when brent was playing for belleville. I remember being in the district science and technology fair there back in grade school when when that was a huge accomplishment. heck, i played in the hamilton hockey league there myself for a couple years about a decade ago.

While the arena always was lacking, i will always remember it fondly. getting my own kids dressed in the arena locker rooms between periods to play timbits during the intermission will likely be my final memory at the rink, and i'm good with that.

looking forward to what the future brings.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by hammerthrow

I have so many memories there. From the countless concerts, WWF, monster trucks, hockey from the steelhawks, canucks, dukes, bulldogs, juniors, canada cup, 3 on 3 league (remember that!? when the NHL was on strike?)... I remember being a kid and going to talk with walter gretzky in the stands when brent was playing for belleville. I remember being in the district science and technology fair there back in grade school when when that was a huge accomplishment. heck, i played in the hamilton hockey league there myself for a couple years about a decade ago.

While the arena always was lacking, i will always remember it fondly. getting my own kids dressed in the arena locker rooms between periods to play timbits during the intermission will likely be my final memory at the rink, and i'm good with that.

looking forward to what the future brings.

Sounds like some great memories!

I've gone to an occasional Bulldogs game in recent years, but that's about it. Attended more events in the 1980s and 1990s... hockey, concerts, auto shows and other exhibitions, a lacrosse game when the Ontario Raiders launched here. I was living outside Hamilton-proper for more than 20 years but not very far away for the latter 14 of them, then the pandemic shut down mass events for a while and I've yet to get back into going to anything aside from Ticat games. But I will, once the arena is renewed. Maybe I'll make an effort to see some OHL before the season is done.

FOC may be the name, but she will always be Copps to me. I wonder if a new corporate moniker will be applied after the renovation.

[atnor]

It will always be Copps.

Loved going to see WWF shows and then as I got older I had the opportunity to see some pretty great bands. Who remembers when U2 played here? Not a fan but I respect their stature — probably the biggest act to play in Hamilton.

Edit: forgot Bruce Springsteen played about 10-15 years ago. Springsteen was definitely the biggest act in my opinion. Wish I went…

[Djeffery]

I remember seeing Reba McEntire there with Brooks and Dunn in 1997 on her farewell tour. Then we saw them again 2 or 3 years later there lol. Best concert we saw was Garth Brooks in 1996, we went for our first wedding anniversary. We had to buy our tickets through the Sheraton Hotel, which had a room package.

[interr0bangr]

Only concert I ever saw there was Nine Inch Nails in 2008. I lived in downtown Toronto at the time and it was my first time ever in Hamilton. I think I borrowed my dad's car or something to get there.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by interr0bangr

Only concert I ever saw there was Nine Inch Nails in 2008. I lived in downtown Toronto at the time and it was my first time ever in Hamilton. I think I borrowed my dad's car or something to get there.

Did that lead to your eventual settling in Landsdale? Just curious.

I took the B-Line to Mac in the early 1990s. One year, during winter exams, there was a Grateful Dead concert at Copps. It was evening, and I distinctly recall the streets being full of Deadheads, and one dude asking the driver at a downtown stop if he would "take an IOU" I'll give that driver credit for politely saying "no, cash fares, tickets or bus passes only"

[craftbeerdad]

While I've seen my fair share of events at Copps (highlight being when the Raptors played regular season games early in the franchise's inception), nothing tops that Grateful Dead footage on YouTube of the fans, street vendors, etc.

[Berklon]

Originally Posted by craftbeerdad

...nothing tops that Grateful Dead footage on YouTube of the fans, street vendors, etc.

Do you have a link to that? I'm curious to see it.

[SteelTown]

Hamilton Bulldogs will call Brantford home ... for a while

Ontario Hockey League team plans to play out of Telephone City for three years while renovations are done to FirstOntario Centre.

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...r-a-while.html

[ScreamingViking]

That's good news. I figured they may end up playing in St. Catharines (despite being home of the IceDogs).

There's a chance they don't come back. But in that case, I doubt the OHL or AHL won't come calling again.

[TheHonestMaple]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

That's good news. I figured they may end up playing in St. Catharines (despite being home of the IceDogs).

There's a chance they don't come back. But in that case, I doubt the OHL or AHL won't come calling again.

There is a zero percent chance they will abandon Hamilton. They're going to move to a tiny city on the peripheral of Hamilton for no reason other than spite? No, they are going to stay in Hamilton a city of nearly 600,000 with a modern arena in 3 years.

[Fruitloops]

With the Bulldogs going to Brantford for 3 contractual years I would hope the City and Hupeg would get their asses moving and provide some direction to prospective tenants. According to Scott Radley in the Spec, the treatment shown to the Bulldogs is deplorable at best.

It would not surprise me if Andlauer and Brantford build a nice 5500 or so rink in the telephone city and finish it before this sketchy Hamilton deal is finished.

[king10]

Originally Posted by Fruitloops

With the Bulldogs going to Brantford for 3 contractual years I would hope the City and Hupeg would get their asses moving and provide some direction to prospective tenants. According to Scott Radley in the Spec, the treatment shown to the Bulldogs is deplorable at best.

It would not surprise me if Andlauer and Brantford build a nice 5500 or so rink in the telephone city and finish it before this sketchy Hamilton deal is finished.

Radley is still mad the City didn't cough up $100M and a free parking garage so Andlauer could build a 5000 seat arena in a limeridge mall parking lot.

I would be extremely surprised if Brantford came up with the funds to build a 5,500 seat arena, because Andlauer isn't paying for it himself. And if they did, the new arena operators are big players and would be able to land a new OHL/AHL team.

The Hamilton deal is great for taxpayers as we get a significantly renovated rink and no longer have to subsidize capital repairs and maintenance for a facility which is seeing significant components fail as they reach the end of their useful life.

[atnor]

Originally Posted by Berklon

Do you have a link to that? I'm curious to see it.

Here’s part 1, smoke a joint before watching.

https://youtu.be/C_SfZ60iWE0

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by atnor

Here’s part 1, smoke a joint before watching.

https://youtu.be/C_SfZ60iWE0

So many of the people interviewed clearly did. Or took something else. lol

Three parts to the street videos of that Hamilton show.

I've never felt this much dedication to a band... or pretty much anything.

[Fruitloops]

Saw The Dead twice at Copps. A treat for sure. the crowd is as much of a show as is the band.