| Moose Jaw Civic Centre | |
|---|---|
| The Crushed Can | |
| Location | Main Street North and Civic Centre Drive, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Opened | September 19, 1959 |
| Owner | City of Moose Jaw |
| Construction cost | $525,000 |
| Architect | Joseph Pettick |
| Capacity | 3,146 |
The Moose Jaw Civic Centre is a 3,146-seat multi-purpose arena located in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, and is home to the Moose Jaw Warriors junior ice hockey team.
The building shares the same parking lot with the Town 'N' Country Mall, Moose Jaw's only indoor shopping center.
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 gives 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 unobstucted view of the arena surface from all seats. At the time it was built it was the largest cable structure in Canada. It is sometimes called "The Crushed Can" because of its unusual shape.
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.
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. From the opening night program: "The project is the largest of its type undertaken in the City. Its history is one of courage, energy and enthusiasm undampened by adversity."
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, will serve as a replacement for the Moose Jaw Civic Centre. The City plans to abandon the Civic Centre in September 2011, and demolition is likely.[1]
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