Stadiums & Arenas of Canada, Part 3

[jonny24]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I still call it the Labatt Centre. The 1995 takeover by AB InBev has been a disaster for the once proud and dominant brand. Over the last 26 years, they've purposely run the Labatt brand into the ground in favour of 'Budweiser'.

It's almost shocking when you cross into Buffalo and see how prominent Labatt advertising is there.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Highwayman

I honestly really like this building you posted. Reminds me in a way of the old wpg airport. But the views from the inside concourse must be amazing.

I like it too, it does bear a certain resemblance to the old Winnipeg airport terminal which was a lovely building.

The Veterans Memorial Coliseum used to be the main arena in Portland, but it was succeeded as the home of the Trailblazers by the Moda Center across the street. Unlike Canadian cities where older arenas get decommissioned once the replacement is built, Portland kept theirs, and it is used by the WHL and for various other events.

You can see the two of them side by side here:



And you're right, the views from the concourse look great:



Interestingly, it's designed in a way to allow light to shine right into the arena seating bowl which is pretty unusual, at least in North America:



And for good measure, here's a pic of a WHL game in the arena:

[esquire]

Originally Posted by jonny24

It's almost shocking when you cross into Buffalo and see how prominent Labatt advertising is there.

That's the part I don't get... the storied Labatt brand was practically left for dead in Canada (when was the last time anyone saw a Labatt brand advertised here?) but they continue to hype it in the states just across the border?!

[megadude]

Yeah, in the few arenas/stadiums I've been in where there are walls of windows, it always looks spectacular from inside the concourse.

And I can't even remember the last time I saw someone pickup Blue from the Beer Store, LCBO or grocery store. The tall cans are actually $2 or no more than $2.10, basically the cheapest beer there is. I have bought it many times because it's cheap and the labelling is professional enough. I actually avoid virtually any product with cheapo or cheesy looking labelling because of the psychological aspect. Same how food presentation enhances your meal.

[esquire]

^ I'm not a big beer drinker but I do buy Blue and Labatt Lite at least a couple of times year. I don't even know what other Labatt brands are left... you sure don't see a lot in the liquor marts although I think beer stores have a bigger selection. I'm not sure if 50 is available in Manitoba anymore. There is Labatt Genuine Draft, I think, but not much else.

[savevp]

Originally Posted by esquire

That's the part I don't get... the storied Labatt brand was practically left for dead in Canada (when was the last time anyone saw a Labatt brand advertised here?) but they continue to hype it in the states just across the border?!

Labatt here is owned by Budweiser’s parent company, who would rather kill off Labatt and peddle the presumably cheaper-to-produce Budweiser. Some years ago, the American government forced the sale of Labatt in the US because it and Budweiser were the 1 and 2 brands in upper New York State. Apparently that constitutes an illegal monopoly there. The brand was taken over by a company based in Rochester, I believe, and they revitalised it. Updated the logo, marketed it heavily, and got it distributed all over the US. This was all happening as they were renaming John Labatt Centre to Budweiser Gardens and ripping down Blue billboards across Canada.

Sorry, off topic, but frustrating!

[jonny24]

Originally Posted by savevp

Labatt here is owned by Budweiser’s parent company, who would rather kill off Labatt and peddle the presumably cheaper-to-produce Budweiser. Some years ago, the American government forced the sale of Labatt in the US because it and Budweiser were the 1 and 2 brands in upper New York State. Apparently that constitutes an illegal monopoly there. The brand was taken over by a company based in Rochester, I believe, and they revitalised it. Updated the logo, marketed it heavily, and got it distributed all over the US. This was all happening as they were renaming John Labatt Centre to Budweiser Gardens and ripping down Blue billboards across Canada.

Sorry, off topic, but frustrating!

I knew it had something to do with different brand ownership, thanks

Is Budweiser actually cheaper to produce? They still brew it at Labatt in London, so it's the same system - aside from possibly different turnaround times, but Bud advertises their "28-day beechwood aged" so I don't think it's faster. From a recipe standpoint, they're almost identical beers, the only variation would be the amount of corn or rice vs barley. I believe Bud is ~30% rice, while Blue I think uses corn, and I'm unsure which is cheaper these days. Hops are so negligible in either that I can't imagine it affects the price.

[yveseluj]

Originally Posted by esquire

Interestingly, it's designed in a way to allow light to shine right into the arena seating bowl which is pretty unusual, at least in North America:



And for good measure, here's a pic of a WHL game in the arena:

I love this.

[Coldrsx]

If anyone touches my

I will lose my shit.

[JHikka]

I think the LBR in Saint John is one of a few rinks I know of in Canada that has glass windows


huddle

[Coldrsx]

Edmonton's Downtown Community Rink - conjoined to Rogers Place - they have had some issues with glare/UV.


https://edmonton.skyrisecities.com/n...d-rogers-place

Rogers Place has multiple windows/vistas on the main and upper concourse, but cannot be really seen or felt from the bowl.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by isaidso

I still call it the Labatt Centre. The 1995 takeover by AB InBev has been a disaster for the once proud and dominant brand. Over the last 26 years, they've purposely run the Labatt brand into the ground in favour of 'Budweiser'.

John Labatt Centre seemed like a perfect balance between commercial imperatives and good taste and history. I actually thought that when I first heard the name, long before anyone was talking about renaming it for Bud.

I fully understand that naming rights are lucrative and that the sponsor wants visibility in exchange for its money, but sometimes it's just too in your face and glaring.

[Acajack]

I mean, I live in a city where the main arena is called Centre Slush Puppie.

Though I'd argue that in this case it's so tacky that it could flip over to the other side and be considered "fabulous".

[Coldrsx]

But only if the raspberry blue oozes from the edges of the boards during intermission.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by savevp

Labatt here is owned by Budweiser’s parent company, who would rather kill off Labatt and peddle the presumably cheaper-to-produce Budweiser. Some years ago, the American government forced the sale of Labatt in the US because it and Budweiser were the 1 and 2 brands in upper New York State. Apparently that constitutes an illegal monopoly there. The brand was taken over by a company based in Rochester, I believe, and they revitalised it. Updated the logo, marketed it heavily, and got it distributed all over the US. This was all happening as they were renaming John Labatt Centre to Budweiser Gardens and ripping down Blue billboards across Canada.

Sorry, off topic, but frustrating!

Thanks, that certainly makes sense as an explanation. Always seemed so odd to me that Labatt was fading into obscurity in Canada while still being so prominent in the northern US states.

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Edmonton's Downtown Community Rink - conjoined to Rogers Place - they have had some issues with glare/UV.

Rogers Place has multiple windows/vistas on the main and upper concourse, but cannot be really seen or felt from the bowl.

Concourse windows are common but you don't often see seating bowls with windows. From what I recall they tend to lead to problems like the ones you've described (I could see it being pretty bad at the community rink given how low they are). Some have had them covered up like IIRC the pre-renovation Oracle Arena.

Originally Posted by Acajack

I mean, I live in a city where the main arena is called Centre Slush Puppie.

Though I'd argue that in this case it's so tacky that it could flip over to the other side and be considered "fabulous".

Yeah, Gatineau kind of leaned into the whole corporate name thing to the point where it became kind of fun. It's hard to be angry at something called Centre Slush Puppie.

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

But only if the raspberry blue oozes from the edges of the boards during intermission.

[Coldrsx]

Imagine the zamboni scrapings become the world's largest SP...


ew

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

2 or 4 for me

1 should be left for residential/cultural and 3 does not provide enough opportunity in my opinion.

2 or 4 for me too. Never 1... don't blow up the River Landing development plan and what's germinating there along the riverfront with a monolithic, internally focused structure.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Echoes

2 or 4 for me too. Never 1... don't blow up the River Landing development plan and what's germinating there along the riverfront with a monolithic, internally focused structure.

Saskatoon's downtown City Yards is what I keep hearing about. The City is moving them for a reason. Arena + a tied in scheme to grade separate the CPR tracks + the north downtown plan you might have an attractive possibility to build up a new area of downtown Saskatoon.



Throwing more things into the scheme just helps get all of them get done.

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

Saskatoon's downtown City Yards is what I keep hearing about. The City is moving them for a reason.

That's not a good option in my mind either. The City has plans to develop the City Yards into a neighbourhood, which is the better use of the land.

If a major goal of the arena is to be a catalyst for the Downtown, then the City Yards is too far out. It won't support the downtown bars and restos like we need, nor catalyze development in the downtown itself. A City Yards location may catalyze development in that area - which in time may come with its own amenities - but that could just serve to detract from Downtown.

Plus I fear that all the land out at the City Yards would provide an easy excuse for acres of parking in every direction to be built.

One of the Midtown parking lots is the key to success here.

[oiler-dude]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Edmonton's Downtown Community Rink - conjoined to Rogers Place - they have had some issues with glare/UV.


https://edmonton.skyrisecities.com/n...d-rogers-place

Rogers Place has multiple windows/vistas on the main and upper concourse, but cannot be really seen or felt from the bowl.

Have played a few beer league games at the Community Rink, before they got the sun shades for the windows, if you were playing at certain times in the summer, you couldn't even see half the ice due to glare, and if you were going the other way you'd have the sun directly in your eyes. It was brutal.