Windsor Arena

Windsor Arena

The Barn Madhouse on McDougall
Former names	Border Cities Arena
Location	334 Wyandotte St. E., Windsor, Ontario
Coordinates	42°18′58″N 83°1′56″W / 42.31611°N 83.03222°WCoordinates: 42°18′58″N 83°1′56″W / 42.31611°N 83.03222°W
Owner	City of Windsor
Capacity	Ice hockey: 4,400 Concerts: 6,264
Opened	1924
Closed	2013
Tenants
Windsor Lancers (OUA) (2008-2013) Windsor minor hockey (1924-2013) Windsor Bulldogs (OHA Senior A/IHL) (1953-1965) Windsor Spitfires (OHL) (1975-2008) Detroit Cougars (NHL) (1926–1927)

Windsor Arena (nicknamed The Barn, because of its age, wooden construction, and its appearance of a giant barn) is an indoor arena located in Windsor, Ontario. Its capacity is approximately 4,400 with standing room. The arena's ice is an asymmetrical 80 feet (24 m) by 195 feet (59 m) or 15,600 square feet (1,450 m²). The arena was the home of the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League from 1975–2008, at which time the team's home was moved to the WFCU Centre.

History

Spitfires old banners (in 2012) still hanging in The Barn. Includes Mickey Renaud, 1988 OHL Championship banner, Adam Graves, etc.

Originally named the Border Cities Arena, it hosted the Detroit Cougars (later renamed the Detroit Red Wings) for the 1926-1927 NHL season, while the Olympia Stadium was under construction. The Border Cities Arena, built in 1925 for the local junior hockey team, was expanded from 6,000 to 9,000 for the Cougars. The arena was later renamed the Windsor Arena.

Having been constructed in 1924, the arena is among the oldest of its type in North America. Inside the arena's halls are pictures of teams gone by, of old matches and players, and of the construction of "The Barn", along with historic newspaper clippings related to the hockey teams that played under its roof over the years.

In 2006, a new arena, located in the city's east side off Lauzon Road, was approved by the Windsor city council. The decision to replace the arena is attributed to complaints about Windsor Arena's seating and tiny concourses.

The Spitfires' final game at the Windsor Arena was played on December 4, 2008. Windsor beat the Guelph Storm 2-1, giving the Spitfires a perfect 12-0 record at The Barn for the 2008-09 season.

From 2009 until 2013, the University of Windsor Lancers hockey teams took over as the major tenants of the arena. Also the Windsor Minor Hockey Association used this arena for games until 2013.

Panoramic view inside arena during Windsor Lancers men's hockey team playoff game, February 16, 2012. (click to enlarge)

In February 2014, the arena was used as a site for salt storage.^[1] As of April 2014, Catholic Central High School is proposed to be constructed on the site, with the full demolition of Windsor Arena being part of the plan without any emphasis.^[2] This later failed but the WECDSB still owns and is still planning to move Catholic Central High School here.^[3]

References

1. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/city-stockpiling-3-500-tonnes-of-salt-in-windsor-arena-1.2537795
2. http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2014/04/01/board-recommends-building-25-million-downtown-catholic-central-high-school/
3. http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/catholic-school-board-to-continue-to-push-for-new-catholic-central-at-arena-site

External links

The Barn on November 3, 2008. Windsor Spitfires and Oshawa Generals face-off to open third period.

Windsor Arena interior.

• "Famous Canadian Arenas" exhibit at the National Library of Canada's Virtual Museum of Canada exhibit. "Windsor Arena"
• http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2014/04/01/board-recommends-building-25-million-downtown-catholic-central-high-school/
• http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/catholic-school-board-to-continue-to-push-for-new-catholic-central-at-arena-site