Victoria Memorial Arena



The Victoria Memorial Arena was an ice hockey arena located in Victoria, British Columbia. It was built in 1949 and demolished in 2003.

Arenas were not having much luck in Victoria. The Patrick Arena had burned down in 1928. Its replacement, the Willows Arena, was not even converted from a horse show building until 1941. It burned down in 1946 while discussions were being held about a replacement.

The replacement was built with public money and cost just under a million dollars. It was modern and fireproof - no one wanted to lose a third arena to fire. It was named the Memorial Arena in honour of locals who had given their lives in World War II.

The replacement Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre now occupies the site. The arena hosted many incarnations of the Victoria Cougars and Victoria Salsa hockey teams.