Maple Leaf Gardens

Possibly the most famous historic building in Canada. Maple Leaf Gardens opened in November 1931, the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs until February 1999. Originally built at a cost of $1.5 million dollars. This was the site of many great moment in Maple Leafs history, including Stanley Cup winning teams for many decades. Also the site of other cultural events including concerts by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, the final Who concerts and a host of others. The Gardens played host to international hockey series, including the only Team Canada win in Canada during the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviets (final score 4-1: link below). This was the venue for the first ever NBA basketball game in history, the site of famous boxing matches featuring Muhammad Ali, wresting matches, political rallies and so much more. The full history of Maple Leaf Gardens can be found elsewhere on the internet in much greater detail.

Today, after much negotiation and debate, the Gardens is now owned by the Loblaws Corporation and Ryerson University. A shiny new Loblaws store opened here in December 2011, and an ice rink and fitness facility are currently being built for the university. During my visit, workers were busy, inside and out, renovating and restoring this historic building. Although it will never regain its glory as home to the Maple Leaf hockey club, the current tenants are ensuring that this building remains with us into the future. At one time, there was risk of having it torn down for yet another condo development, but cooler heads have prevailed.