MTS CENTRE

The 'MTS Center' is an indoor arena at 300 Portage Avenue in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, at the former Eaton's site. It is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment Limited, at a cost of $133.5 million CAD, and is 440,000 square feet Facility Information (41,000 m²) in size. It opened on November 16, 2004, replacing the since-demolished Winnipeg Arena. It can seat 15,003 spectators for ice hockey and up to 16,333 spectators for concerts. It was formerly known as the "True North Centre" during planning and construction before Manitoba Telecom Services bought the naming rights for $7 million over 10 years.
The MTS Center is home to the AHL's Manitoba Moose hockey team and it hosted the 2005 Juno Awards and a Toronto Raptors vs. Portland Trail Blazers preseason NBA game. It was also home to the 2006 AHL All-Star Classic. This building is known for its excellent sound, which has made Winnipeg a more prominent location for concerts. On September 17, 2006, an NHL pre-season game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Phoenix Coyotes was held in front of a sold out crowd. The Winnipeg Jets left the city in 1996 to become the Phoenix Coyotes. Now the Coyotes will hold another pre-season game at the MTS Centre on September 19, 2007 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Contents

History

Recent

External links

References

History

With the bankruptcy of the iconic Eaton's retailer, the famed store in downtown Winnipeg was emptied in late 1999. Various alternative uses for the building (including residential condominiums) were considered, and ultimately all rejected. After a highly emotional civic debate, which included a “group hug” of the “Big Store” by hundreds of people in 2001, the store was demolished in 2002 to make way for the new hockey arena.
In one concession to history, red bricks were incorporated into the design of the arena façade, evoking the memory of the Eaton’s store that had once graced Portage Avenue. An original store window and Tyndall stone surround is mounted in the arena concourse to house a collection of Eaton's memorabilia. The Timothy Eaton statue that was once part of store is housed in the MTS Center.

Recent

In October 2006 the MTS Center has improved its washroom facilities to eliminate long lines and it installed 340 "demountable" seats in the lower bowl to replace 352 narrower "retractable" chairs, in a renovation priced at more than $120,000. They also created a "peanut-restricted" zone for spectators allergic to the snacks.
On Saturday October 29, 2005, Mike Scott was the 1,000,000th customer through the door and received a pair of tickets to every event in 2006.

External links

★ MTS Centre Official Site

References