Moose Jaw Civic Centre

The Moose Jaw Civic Centre was a 3,146-seat multi-purpose arena located in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, and was home to the Moose Jaw Warriors junior ice hockey team. The building shared the same parking lot with the Town 'N' Country Mall, Moose Jaw's only indoor shopping centre.

Moose Jaw Civic Centre
The Crushed Can
LocationMain Street North and Civic Centre Drive, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
Coordinates50°24′17.17″N 105°32′1.64″W
OwnerCity of Moose Jaw
Capacity3,146
Construction
OpenedSeptember 19, 1959 (1959-09-19)
ClosedSeptember 2011
DemolishedAugust–November 2012
Construction cost$525,000
ArchitectJoseph Pettick
Structural engineerJ.L. Miller

Designed by Saskatchewan architect Joseph Pettick and Vancouver structural engineer J.L. Miller, the Civic Centre won the Massey Medal for architecture, a precursor to Canada's Governor General's Medals in Architecture. The innovative cable structure roof that gave the building its unique shape, was an ingenious and cost effective solution that allowed such a large building to be constructed on a modest budget, while maintaining an unobstructed view of the arena surface from all seats. At the time it was built it was the largest cable structure in Canada. It earned the nickname of "The Crushed Can" because of its unusual shape.[1]

The impetus for the building was a fire that destroyed the old arena rink on Ross Street in the fall of 1955. City Council then appointed a group of citizens to oversee plans for a new building. The building was officially opened as The Moose Jaw Community Centre on September 19, 1959, with a gala event hosted by Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas, and featuring a performance by Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars.[2]

After initial tenders in the range of one million dollars, the length of the building was shortened, and the final cost was a mere $525,000.00. The building opened on budget and debt free. Current replacement cost of the building would be in the tens of millions of dollars.

Mosaic Place, completed in 2011, served as a replacement for the Moose Jaw Civic Centre. The City mothballed the Civic Centre in September 2011, and demolition was a possibility.[3] Six private developers approached the city with plans to redevelop the building,[4] and in April 2012 an agreement of sale was reached with Civic Centre Plaza Inc.[5] However, the plans unveiled on May 29, 2012, show the original building being demolished and replaced with several new buildings that mimic the Civic Centre's roofline.[6] Demolition work commenced in August 2012[7][8] and was largely completed by November.[9]

References
  1. "Moose Jaw Civic Centre". Heritage Canada Foundation. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
  2. Wolfe, Cory (February 28, 2011). "Moose Jaw gets ready to empty Crushed Can". The StarPhoenix. Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2012-04-16. Alt URL
  3. "Final Months for Civic Centre". Discover Moose Jaw. Golden West Broadcasting. December 21, 2010. Archived from the original on 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
  4. "Moose Jaw Civic Centre draws interest from developers". Global Regina. Shaw Media. February 21, 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
  5. van der Veen, Joel (April 10, 2012). "Martynook: Civic Centre property ideal for businesses". Moose Jaw Times-Herald. TC Transcontinental. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
  6. Richter, Sarah (May 29, 2012). "Plans unveiled for retail space on former Civic Centre site in Moose Jaw". Global Regina. Shaw Media. Archived from the original on 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
  7. "Crushed Can set for demolition". CBC News. August 23, 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-23.
  8. "How the Crushed Can got crushed". CBC News. September 11, 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  9. Kenter, Peter (2012-11-28). "Crushed Can retired after 53 years". Journal of Commerce. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on 2013-06-29. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
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