Scotiabank Arena

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The building was constructed in 1941 as the Toronto Postal Delivery Building for postal deliveries and was temporarily used by the Department of National Defence during World War II. After the war, the building was transferred to Canada Post in 1946 where it functioned as the main postal terminal for Metropolitan Toronto until 1989 when Canada Post moved its services to the Eastern Avenue facility. The Postal Building was sold to a consortium of developers but was reverted to Canada Post ownership in 1993 due to financial woes, but the new ownership of the soon-to-be Toronto Raptors basketball team acquired the building in December 1994 to construct the new arena. However, the Raptors were acquired by Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd., the owners of the Maple Leafs hockey team in 1998 during construction that began a year prior, to replace their outdated Maple Leaf Gardens arena. The arena was opened on February 19, 1999, at the cost of $288 million, with the Leafs playing the Montreal Canadiens the following night, and the Raptors playing the Vancouver Grizzlies the night after that.

In Their Own Story

on September 30, 1993. The team played their first two seasons at SkyDome while the arena rose from the old postal site. On February 19, 1999, Scotiabank Arena officially opened. The Maple Leafs played their first game there the following night against the Montreal Canadiens, while the Raptors debuted on the third night against the Vancouver Grizzlies. By 2018, it had become the 13th busiest arena globally and the busiest in Canada. It is also recognized as the most photographed location in Canada on Instagram. The facility connects directly to Union Station's railway, subway, and regional bus services via the PATH system.

Reader's Guide

Scotiabank Arena is connected to Union Station's railway, subway and regional bus services and is connected to the Path. The venue is located on land that was once part of Toronto's inner harbour. The arena retains the eastern and southern walls of the original postal structure through a process of facadism.

Did You Know?

• In 2018, Scotiabank Arena was the 13th busiest arena in the world and the busiest in Canada.
• It is the most photographed location in Canada on Instagram according to BuzzFeed.
• The building's exterior features a 13-part series of limestone bas relief carvings by Louis Temporale Sr. depicting the history of transportation and communication in Canada.