Scotiabank Arena facts for kids

"Air Canada Centre" redirects here. For the headquarters of Air Canada in Montreal, see Air Canada#Headquarters.

Quick facts for kids
Scotiabank Arena
Construction
The Hangar ACC SBA

Scotiabank Arena in 2018
Scotiabank Arena Location in Toronto Show map of Toronto Scotiabank Arena Location in Southern Ontario Show map of Southern Ontario Scotiabank Arena Location in Ontario Show map of Ontario Scotiabank Arena Location in Canada Show map of Canada
Former names	Toronto Postal Delivery Building Air Canada Centre (1999–2018)
Address	40 Bay Street
Location	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates	43°38′36″N 79°22′45″W / 43.64333°N 79.37917°W / 43.64333; -79.37917
Public transit	Union Station Union subway station GO Bus Terminal
Parking	2 underground levels for 212 vehicles
Owner	Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Operator	Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Capacity	Basketball: 19,800 (20,511 with standing room) Concerts: 19,800 Hockey/Lacrosse: 18,800 (20,270 with standing room) Theatre: 5,200
Acreage	61,780.5 m² (665,000 sq ft)
Broke ground	1938 (original building) March 12, 1997 (reconstruction)
Opened	February 19, 1999
Construction cost	CA$265 million ($404 million in 2021 dollars) Renovations: 2003: $5 million ($6.89 million in 2021 dollars) 2015: $10 million ($11.2 million in 2021 dollars) 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.
Services engineer	The Mitchell Partnership, Inc.
General contractor	PCL Constructors Western, Inc.
Tenants
Canada Post (1946–1994) Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) (1999–present) Toronto Raptors (NBA) (1999–present) Toronto Rock (NLL) (2001–2020) Toronto Phantoms (AFL) (2001–2002) Toronto Marlies (AHL) (2010–present, occasional home games) Raptors 905 (NBA G League) (2015–present, selected matches)
Website
scotiabankarena.com

Ontario Heritage Act
Designated:	1990

Scotiabank Arena is a large building in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a multi-purpose arena, meaning it can host many different types of events. Before 2018, it was known as the Air Canada Centre.

This arena is the home for two major sports teams. The Toronto Raptors play their National Basketball Association (NBA) games here. The Toronto Maple Leafs play their National Hockey League (NHL) hockey games here.

Other teams also play some games at Scotiabank Arena. These include the Toronto Marlies (hockey) and the Raptors 905 (basketball). In the past, it was home to the Toronto Phantoms (football) and the Toronto Rock (lacrosse).

Beyond sports, Scotiabank Arena hosts many other exciting events. You can see concerts, big meetings, and even video game competitions here. The building is huge, covering about 61,780 square meters. It is owned and run by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). This company also owns the Maple Leafs and Raptors teams.

The building first opened in 1941 as the Toronto Postal Delivery Building. It was used for sorting mail. During World War II, it was used by the government for storage. After the war, Canada Post used it as a main mail center until 1989.

In 1994, the owners of the new Toronto Raptors basketball team bought the building. They wanted to build a new arena there. Construction started in 1997. The arena officially opened on February 19, 1999. It cost about $288 million at the time.

Scotiabank Arena is a very busy place. In 2018, it was the busiest arena in Canada. It was also one of the most photographed places in Canada on Instagram. The arena is easy to get to, connected to Union Station and Toronto's underground walkway system called the Path.

History of Scotiabank Arena

A map of downtown Toronto in 1858.

The area where the stadium is now, around 1919.

The land where Scotiabank Arena stands was once part of Toronto's inner harbor. Over time, the land was filled in, especially when railroads arrived. By 1858, the site was between two wharves. More land was added, and by 1925, part of it became Bayside Park.

The Old Postal Building

In the 1930s, this spot was chosen for a new Canada Post building. Toronto's population was growing fast, and the old postal facility was too small. In 1937, plans were approved for a new building. This helped create jobs during the Great Depression.

Construction began in 1938. The building was designed by Charles B. Dolphin. It had a mix of Art Deco and Art Moderne styles. It cost about $2 million (CAD) to build. The location was perfect, right next to Union Station. An underground tunnel allowed mail to be moved directly from trains to the sorting center.

The original Toronto Postal Delivery Building in 1944.

When it was finished in 1941, the building was first used by the government for wartime storage. After World War II, it became Canada Post's main sorting center in 1946. It had special equipment to sort mail by size and destination.

Art on the Postal Building

One cool feature of the building is its outdoor sculptures. There are 13 limestone carvings by Louis Temporale Sr. These carvings show the history of travel and communication in Canada. They start with human speech and smoke signals. Then they show voyageurs, ships, trains, and dog sleds.

These artworks were carved in 1938–39. Louis Temporale Jr., the sculptor's son, helped restore them in 1998. He has also spoken about the need to protect them better.

Changes for Canada Post

By the late 1980s, the postal building needed big repairs and new equipment. Canada Post decided to move its operations to a newer facility. This new place on Eastern Avenue had better access to highways for trucks. By 1989, all mail sorting moved out of the old building.

The area around the building became very busy with new skyscrapers and hotels. In the early 1990s, developers tried to buy the building. They wanted to turn it into offices, shops, and homes. However, a tough economic time meant they couldn't get the money needed. So, Canada Post got the building back in 1993. It stayed empty until the Toronto Raptors bought it a year later.

Becoming a Sports Arena

In 1993, the NBA decided to add new teams in Canada. The owners of the new Toronto Raptors team chose the Canada Post building for their new arena. They liked its downtown location and connections to the subway and Path system.

The Raptors played their first two seasons at the Rogers Centre (then called SkyDome). Meanwhile, construction for their new arena began in March 1997. The new design kept the old building's Art Deco stone walls along Bay Street and Lake Shore Boulevard. This process is called facadism. The rest of the old building was taken down to build the arena. The original building is protected by the Ontario Heritage Act.

The Arena Competition

At the same time, the owners of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team also wanted a new arena. Their old home, Maple Leaf Gardens, was getting old. There was a bit of a competition to see who would build a new stadium first.

The Maple Leafs owners even thought about building their own arena right next to the Raptors' site. This caused some tension. Eventually, the Maple Leafs' owners bought the Raptors team and their partially built arena. This meant the new arena would be home to both basketball and hockey. The original design, which was mostly for basketball, was changed to work better for hockey too. The cost went up to $265 million.

Building the Arena

The Air Canada Centre being built in 1998.

After the Maple Leafs' owners took over, they updated the construction plans. They wanted the arena finished in 24 months. The changes to make it better for hockey added about 25% to the building costs.

The finished building included a 15-story office tower. It also had four restaurants and an underground parking lot.

Opening Day

The construction of the building was finished on December 30, 1998. The first events happened early the next year. The first hockey game was on February 20, 1999. The Toronto Maple Leafs played the Montreal Canadiens and won! The first basketball game was on February 21, 1999. The Toronto Raptors played the Vancouver Grizzlies and also won. The first concert was on February 22, 1999, with The Tragically Hip.

The new arena had a large arena space and an office tower. It also has a covered walkway called the Galleria. This walkway has restaurants and shops. It connects Scotiabank Arena to Union Station and the underground PATH network. The Galleria also shows artifacts from the old Canada Post building.

In its first ten years, the arena helped Toronto's economy a lot. It brought in about $2.4 billion and encouraged more building downtown.

Air Canada bought the rights to name the arena for 20 years. It was called the Air Canada Centre, or "ACC" for short. Many people still call it the ACC today, even after its name changed.

Scotiabank Arena Today

Statues of famous Maple Leafs players outside the arena.

Over the years, the arena has been updated. In 2003, a $5 million upgrade added new LED signs. In 2015, a $10 million upgrade installed a new, much larger scoreboard.

On September 6, 2014, a group of statues called Legends Row was unveiled. These life-sized statues of famous Maple Leafs players are outside the arena. More statues were added in 2016 and 2017. Now, there are 14 statues of former players.

An indoor entrance to Scotiabank Arena, connecting to the Path network.

The Air Canada Centre was renamed Scotiabank Arena on July 1, 2018. Scotiabank made a big sponsorship deal with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. This deal is worth about C$800 million over 20 years.

During the 2020–21 NBA season, the Toronto Raptors played their home games in Florida. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto. They returned to Scotiabank Arena on October 20, 2021.

In May 2021, the Toronto Rock lacrosse team moved from Scotiabank Arena to FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario.

On June 27, 2021, Scotiabank Arena was used as a COVID-19 vaccine clinic. It set a record for the most vaccinations given at one place in North America on a single day. Over 26,771 people received vaccines there.

A large renovation project for the arena, costing $350 million, was announced in October 2023. This work is happening in stages during the off-seasons for the sports teams.

Maple Leaf Square Fun Zone

Fans watching a game on the big screen in Maple Leaf Square.

Maple Leaf Square In 2005, plans were made to connect the arena to a new area called Maple Leaf Square. This area opened in 2010. It has restaurants, a hotel, shops, and two tall condominium buildings. There's also a large store for Leafs, Raptors, and other team gear.

A huge video screen overlooks the public square outside the arena. It often shows games happening inside. During NHL and NBA playoff games, thousands of fans gather in the square. They watch the games together, even away games. This area is sometimes called the Ford Fan Zone.

During the Raptors' playoff runs, the square earned the nickname "Jurassic Park." This name comes from the 1993 movie that inspired the team's name. In 2019, when the Raptors won the NBA Finals, other cities across Canada also had their own "Jurassic Parks."

Events at Scotiabank Arena

Political Meetings

In 2003, the Liberal Party of Canada held their leadership convention at the arena. This is where they chose a new leader for their party. Paul Martin was chosen and became the new prime minister.

Sports Events

Hockey Games

Maple Leafs home games are almost always sold out. There's even a waiting list for season tickets!

February 20, 1999: The first Toronto Maple Leafs game at the arena. They beat the Montreal Canadiens 3–2 in overtime.
February 6, 2000: The 2000 National Hockey League All-Star Game was held here.
June 22–23, 2002: The 2002 NHL Entry Draft took place at the arena.
2004 World Cup of Hockey: Five games, including the championship where Canada won gold.
2010 World Hockey Summit: A big meeting about hockey.
2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships: Co-hosted with Montreal. Canada won gold.
2016 World Cup of Hockey: All games were played here, with Canada winning the championship.
2017 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships: Co-hosted with Montreal.
2020 Stanley Cup playoffs: Hosted many games for the Eastern Conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
February 3, 2024: The 2024 National Hockey League All-Star Game was held here.
February 16, 2024: A Professional Women's Hockey League game between PWHL Toronto and PWHL Montreal. This game, called the "Battle On Bay Street," had the most fans ever for a women's hockey game, with 19,825 people.
January 25, 2025: The PWHL returns with a game between the Toronto Sceptres and New York Sirens.

Basketball Games

February 21, 1999: The first Toronto Raptors game. They beat the Vancouver Grizzlies 102–87.
October 3, 2003: A power outage happened during a Raptors pre-season game. The game was stopped early.
2016 NBA All-Star Game: This was the first NBA All-Star Game ever held outside the United States.
July 27, 2018: Scotiabank Arena hosted a week of the Big3 basketball league.
2019 NBA Finals: Games 1, 2, and 5 were played here. The Raptors won the NBA championship that year!
March 26, 2022: A small fire from a speaker caused a Raptors game to be paused. Fans had to leave, but the game finished later without them.

Other Sports

Lacrosse The Toronto Rock lacrosse team played at the arena from 2001 to 2020. Their first game was a big win against the Ottawa Rebel.

MMA The arena has also hosted six Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events. These are mixed martial arts competitions.

Event	Date	Attendance
UFC 140	December 10, 2011	18,303
UFC 152	September 22, 2012	16,800
UFC 165	September 21, 2013	15,504
UFC 206	December 10, 2016	18,057
UFC 231	December 8, 2018	19,039
UFC 297	January 20, 2024	18,559

Other Special Events

Invictus Games Ceremonies

A flag raising during the 2017 Invictus Games closing ceremonies.

In 2017, the arena hosted the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2017 Invictus Games. These games are for injured or sick military service members and veterans. The opening ceremony welcomed 550 competitors from 17 countries. It featured music stars like Alessia Cara and Sarah McLachlan.

The closing ceremony celebrated the competitors. It included performances by Bryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, and Kelly Clarkson.

Video Game Competitions

On August 27 and 28, 2016, the arena hosted a big League of Legends competition. This was the first professional League of Legends event in Canada. League of Legends is a very popular computer game. Team SoloMid won the competition.

The arena was supposed to host the semifinals of the 2022 League of Legends World Championship. However, due to travel issues from the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was moved.