Kingston Memorial Centre

thumb|Exterior of Memorial Centre.

thumb|Interior of Memorial Centre.

The Kingston Memorial Centre is a 3,300-seat multi-purpose arena located at 303 York Street in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1951, the Kingston Community Memorial Health and Recreation Centre was designed as a community sports and entertainment centre that would become a "living memorial" in remembrance of Kingstonians who gave their life in both world wars and the Korean War (Planning Partnership-Hughes Downey Architects 2007, p. 5). The Memorial Centre lands and facilities include a war memorial, a large ice pad in the arena building, a new outdoor aquatic centre, agricultural barns, softball diamonds, a cinder track, off leash dog park and a linear park at the east, north and west perimeter of the property. Just east of the arena building was the International Hockey Hall of Fame (IHHOF) museum building at 277 York St. In July 2012, Kingston City Council approved the relocation of the collection on a short-term basis to the Invista Centre on Gardiners Road in Kingston. The existing building was found to have costly repair issues related to moisture penetration. It was demolished after the IHHOF moved to the Invista Centre in Kingston's west end.

The Memorial Centre land has been publicly owned since it was acquired in 1841 by the British Government. Its cultural significance reflects local Kingston agricultural, military and recreational history (Planning Partnership-Hughes Downey Architects 2007, p. 4).

As the Memorial Centre building aged consideration was given by the City of Kingston for ways to rehabilitate the property. In 1993 Parkin Consultants Limited issued a Final Report on the possible uses of the property based primarily on 1980s data. In 1987, the Kingston Canadians junior hockey club was the main tenant with 60% of the facilities events. Entertainment programing accounted for 12% and trade or consumer shows 24% of events. In 1987 there were $774,862 in ticket sales, facility rentals and other income. But operating costs were $1,093,473. The Parkin report noted that the deficit of $318,311 could be reduced with decreased through measures to reduce maintenance and energy costs and by increasing rent, ticket sales, and canteen revenues.

The Memorial Centre was the home to the Kingston Frontenacs ice hockey team and its predecessors, the Kingston Canadians and Kingston Raiders from 1973 to 2008. It was also home to the Kingston Frontenacs of the Eastern Professional Hockey League from 1959 to 1963. When a new downtown arena, the Leon's Centre opened in 2008, the Frontenacs moved to the new facility, playing their last game at the Memorial Centre on February 15, 2008.

The Kingston Memorial Centre is the site of the annual Kingston Fall Fair operated by the Kingston and District Agricultural Society. Established in Kingston in 1830 as the Midland Fair and revived in 1912, the Kingston Fall Fair is held over four days each September. It is the second oldest Fair in Ontario, with attendance over 16,000. The society sponsors the Fair with the objective of promoting education through agriculture. The fair includes the largest dairy show held in Ontario.

Since the 1950s the Memorial Centre has been used for many cultural and recreational events including performances by Johnny Cash in 1958 and 1987. Kingston's The Tragically Hip played the centre in 1995 In 2010 it become the home of Kingston Derby Girls, Kingston's first official women's roller derby league.

After 2008, the Memorial Centre became the permanent home of the Queen's Golden Gaels (Queen's varsity hockey), figure skating, and Queen's intramural ice sports. It replaced the Jock Harty Arena which had been demolished to allow for the construction of new athletic facilities at Queen's University. The Church Athletic League of Kingston hockey teams are based at the centre.

History

In 1792, John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of the province of Upper Canada, assisted with the formation of the Agricultural Society of Upper Canada based at Niagara-on-the-Lake to further the development of agriculture in Upper Canada. The society helped to promote agriculture through local agricultural societies and fairs.

On July 12, 1825, the Upper Canada Herald contained an advertisement for the Frontenac Agricultural Society Fair to be held near Kingston. The fair operated on and off until 1925. That year the group reorganized under the name of the Kingston and District Agricultural Society. It has operated the Kingston Fair successfully since that time.

The association sold the land to the City of Kingston in January, 1897 for $17,000. (See transfer dated July 5, 1897, Instrument no. CK13650 and Abstract Index 36072-0235 (R) for Land Registry Office #134). Some of the buildings were transferred from the penitentiary grounds along with the Crystal Palace. A 1915 fire insurance map shows buildings (poultry, dairy, horse barns and exhibition building), a grandstand and half-mile track and palace on the property.

Capital fund raising

In November 1944 the Corporation of the City of Kingston passed a by-law for the Establishment, Development and Management of the Kingston Community Memorial Health and Recreation Centre and a by-law authorizing debentures of $100,000 toward the establishment of the centre. But money was not to be provided until the building committee raised $225,000 from the community. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario confirmed the expenditure in Bill 9, "An Act respecting the City of Kingston" which received Third Reading on March 22, 1945.

A campaign fund raising pamphlet indicates objective of $400,000 plus $100,000 from the City of Kingston. Donations of more than $38,000 had been received from 65 donors in the closing months of 1945. The pamphlet includes reference to "the grounds enclosed by the already established half-mile race track… will be used for softball and baseball diamonds, tennis courts etc".

By August 1945, at the end of World War II, $80,000 had been raised for the building of the centre. In 1949 Bill Henderson was elected Liberal Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands. In 1950 Henderson found federal funds through the Minister of Agriculture for the centre. But the capital funding was tied to the project being dedicated to agricultural purposes and activities as there were no federal funds for an arena. Further capital funding came from the province of Ontario.

City of Kingston and Agricultural Society, 1950 agreement

In a 1950 agreement between the City of Kingston and the Agricultural Society, the Society assigned grants of $300,000 ($150,000 by the Government of Canada and $150,000 by the province of Ontario) to the city with the following provisions:

- provides for a Memorial Centre Board (this local board was terminated with the 1997 Provincial Amalgamation Order creating the new City of Kingston and was replaced by an Advisory Committee; the City took over all functions of Board)

- s. 2: rights to use are subject to the Society abiding by regulations and rates set by the City of Kingston

- s. 2(a) Society has right to use and enjoyment of Fair Grounds, Auditorium and other ancillary buildings and equipment of the Kingston Community Health Recreation Centre for the period when fairs are held. This right does not generally extend beyond the period in September when fairs are held.

- 2(b) Society has use and enjoyment of other buildings and erections constructed for the purposes of advancing interests of agriculture. [structures are owned by the City of Kingston]

- 2( c) Society has use and enjoyment of the auditorium when not otherwise allocated or required by the Board of Trustees, for the purposes of the Society. [the "Auditorium" is the arena area and the City of Kingston allocates use of it fully throughout year]

- 2(d) to have expended toward the cost of constructing other buildings for purposes of advancing interests of agriculture, an amount equal to 50% of net profit from operating the Centre [since there has never been a net profit from operations this section of the agreement has never been operative].

In November 2006, a City Workshop report on a Planning Partnership for the Memorial Centre was released. Over 120 interest groups and agencies were contacted for the report, including the Agricultural Society which indicated the need for improved fencing for crowd control; and improve and increase indoor display space and promote education.

In July 2007, a Planning Partnership Concept Plan and detailed a multi-year implementation process for the Revitalization and Rejuvenation of the Memorial Centre site report was presented by the City of Kingston. It identifies the Kingston District Agricultural Society (KDAS) as an important stakeholder and the need to respond to physical requirements of the annual fall fair. Members of the design team met with Fair Board to try to understand those needs (see p. 10)

At a City of Kingston Revitalization Committee meeting held in October 2008, it was noted that it would be difficult to plan for entire site until the completion of discussions with the Agricultural Society on the needs of the Fair.

In May 2009, Kingston City Council approved the building of a linear park on the east, west and north side of the centre. Fencing was designed to meet the needs of the Kingston District Agricultural Society during the Fall Fair in September.

In February 2010, a linear park was developed in part through discussions by the city with the Agricultural Society to ensure there was no negative impact on the Fall Fair. For example, temporary fencing was not adequate for animal control.

In July 2010, a City of Kingston Traffic Division staff report does not support proposed pedestrian crossings as it asserts that traffic does not have to yield.

In May 2011, an e-mail to Friends and Neighbours of the Memorial Centre from City staff noted that the Kingston Community can be very proud of its contribution in reshaping the venue including the creation or sustaining of:

accessible walking paths
off leash dog park, shade structure
local hockey leagues
men's and women's university hockey
a splash pad
a lazy river pool
a 10m swimming pool
diving pool
zero entry pool
shade structures and lounge chairs
running track
continuation of the Fall Fair
softball diamonds
community gardens office
softball diamonds
pollinator garden
new memorial gardens
memorial walls
the Kingston and District Agricultural Society office

Kingston Memorial Centre Advisory Committee

The City of Kingston, Kingston Memorial Centre Advisory Committee advises City Council and staff on the following issues:

Capital upgrades to the Kingston Memorial Centre site and related facilities and amenities.
Future developments and plans for the Kingston Memorial Centre site and facilities and amenities.
Community partnerships and programs

Committee Members for 2011-12

Councillor Sandy Berg, Councillor Jim Neill, Janine Handforth, Michael Dakin, David Garrick, Steve Garrison, Ken Ohtake

Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market

In 2012, Kingston City Council approved the establishment of a new farmers' market at the Memorial Centre. The Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market started up on May 20, 2012. It promotes local food grown and produced within about 100 km of the market. The market's goal is to expand the market for "sustainably-produced food in Kingston".

School development proposal

In early summer 2012, news of discussions to sell part of the Memorial Centre to the Limestone District School Board for a new high school was released. Early public comment on the suggestion was largely negative and city councillors seem divided on the issue. The results of any further discussions between the city and the school board were undecided as of early 2013. On June 4, 2013, Kingston City Council adopted a motion to not sell any of the land at the Memorial Centre or the Cook's Brothers Arena for a new school building. A year later, in June 2014, Kingston City Council re confirmed its 2013 decision not to sell any portion of the property.

On February 3, 2015, the newly elected Kingston City Council, featuring seven (of thirteen) first-time Councillors, voted 9-3 not to consider the property for a school.

References

;Notes

Bibliography

External links

City of Kingston - Kingston Memorial Centre
Kingston Memorial Centre The OHL Arena & Travel Guide
Memorable Memorial Centre Concerts www.thewhig.com April 30, 2008; A look back at some of the musicians who played the Memorial Centre since it opened in 1951, for example, Johnny Cash, 1958 and Oct. 21, 1987.
KC DESIGN Kingston Centre Logo for the period 1980 to 1997, "The drawing is lined for the colours red and blue."; Services linked to the logo for the period: Sport, recreational and entertainment activities, more particularly described as ice hockey, figure skating, public skating, basketball, indoor soccer, lacrosse, outdoor soccer, baseball, softball, exhibitions (including trade shows, car shows, home appliance shows), fairs, flea markets, rock concerts, country and western concerts, swimming, circuses, dog shows, horse shows, banquets and dances.
Kingston Memorial Centre Images
Memorial Centre Farmers' Market