Scotiabank Arena
Home of the Maple Leafs and Raptors, built from a former postal building.
Scotiabank Arena, originally called the Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purpose venue on Bay Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario. It serves as the home arena for the NBA's Toronto Raptors and the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs. The AHL's Toronto Marlies, the NBA G League's Raptors 905, and the PWHL's Toronto Sceptres also play occasional games there. In the past, it hosted the Arena Football League's Toronto Phantoms and the National Lacrosse League's Toronto Rock. Beyond sports, the arena holds concerts, political conventions, and video game competitions.
The facility covers 61,780.5 square metres (665,000 square feet). It is owned and operated by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE), which also owns the Leafs, the Raptors, and their respective development teams.
Construction began in 1941, when the building was originally built as the Toronto Postal Delivery Building. During World War II, it was temporarily used by the Department of National Defence. After the war, Canada Post took over in 1946, and it served as the main postal terminal for Metropolitan Toronto until 1989, when postal operations moved to an Eastern Avenue facility. The building was sold to a developer consortium but reverted to Canada Post ownership in 1993 due to financial trouble. In December 1994, the ownership group of the soon-to-be Toronto Raptors bought the building to build a new arena. However, in 1998, while construction was underway (which had started a year earlier), the Raptors were acquired by Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd., the owners of the Maple Leafs, who wanted to replace their outdated Maple Leaf Gardens. The arena opened on February 19, 1999, at a cost of $288 million ($499 million in 2022 dollars). The Leafs played the Montreal Canadiens the next night, and the Raptors faced the Vancouver Grizzlies the night after that.
In 2018, Scotiabank Arena ranked as the 13th busiest arena globally and the busiest in Canada. According to BuzzFeed, it is the most photographed location in Canada on Instagram. The arena connects to Union Station's railway, subway, and regional bus services, as well as the Path network.
The venue sits on land that was once part of Toronto's inner harbour. Infilling began in the 1850s and sped up with the arrival of railroads, shaping the current downtown. By 1858, the site lay between Rees Wharf and Tinnings Wharf.
Quick Facts
- Address
- 40 Bay Street
- Location
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Public Transit
- ca · rail gotransit · rail toronto · up Union Station / toronto · streetcartoronto · subway · 1 Union / gotransit · bus Union Bus Terminal
- Groundbreaking
- 1938 (original building) / March 12, 1997 (reconstruction)
- Opened
- February 19, 1999
- Acreage
- 61780.5 m2
- Owner
- Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
- Former Names
- Toronto Postal Delivery Building / Air Canada Centre (ACC) (1999–2018)
- Cost
- 265 million / ($ in CA dollars)CA / Renovations: / 2003: $5 million / ($ in CA dollars)CA · 2015: $10 million / ($ in CA dollars)CA · 2023: $350 million
- Architect
- Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects (Architect of Record) / HOK Sport / (Consulting Architects)
- Project Manager
- Clarendon Projects Ltd.
- Structural Engineer
- Yolles Partnership Inc.
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The arena is located on land that was once part of Toronto's inner harbour. Infill began in the 1850s, and by 1925 the northern parcel became Bayside Park. The building was constructed in 1941 as the Toronto Postal Delivery Building, designed by Charles B. Dolphin in Art Deco and Art Moderne style. During World War II it was temporarily used by the Department of National Defence, then transferred to Canada Post in 1946, functioning as the main postal terminal for Metropolitan Toronto until 1989. The building's exterior features a 13-part series of limestone bas relief carvings by Louis Temporale Sr. CM, depicting the history of transportation and communication in Canada. After Canada Post moved out, the building was sold to a consortium of developers but reverted to Canada Post ownership in 1993. The soon-to-be Toronto Raptors basketball team acquired the building in December 1994 to construct the new arena. The Raptors were acquired by Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd., owners of the Maple Leafs, in 1998 during construction that began a year prior. The arena opened on February 19, 1999, with the Leafs playing the Montreal Canadiens the following night and the Raptors playing the Vancouver Grizzlies the night after that.
Reader's Guide
Scotiabank Arena is notable as a multi-purpose venue that replaced the outdated Maple Leaf Gardens. It is owned and operated by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., which also owns the Leafs and Raptors. In 2018, it was the 13th busiest arena in the world and the busiest in Canada. It is also the most photographed location in Canada on Instagram according to BuzzFeed. The arena is connected to Union Station's railway, subway and regional bus services and is connected to the Path. Its history as a former postal building, with preserved limestone carvings, adds a unique architectural and historical dimension. The arena's construction cost $288 million ($499 million as of 2022) and it has hosted a wide range of events beyond sports, including concerts, political conventions and video game competitions.
Did You Know?
- The arena was originally built in 1941 as the Toronto Postal Delivery Building.
- The building's exterior features 13 limestone bas relief carvings by Louis Temporale Sr. CM.
More in NHL Arenas 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced