VisitLethbridge.com Arena celebrates 50 years of sports and entertainment
Naveen Day- 0
- 2 minutes read
It’s been 50 years of cheers. That’s how long the VisitLethbridge.com Arena has been the venue for sports and entertainment events. On Wednesday morning, Becky Little, Events manager with the arena, gave the media a tour through the memories and memorabilia from 50 years of outstanding sports and entertainment milestones, way back when it first opened in as the Canada Games Sportsplex.
The tour includes stops in many parts of the arena that are typically off limits to the general public. One display on the lower level honours many notable figures that have made events possible here in Lethbridge, including award-winning promoter, Ron Sakamoto, as well as past general managers.
The 50-year-old facility still features some remnants of the past. Down on the lower level, you can still see track lines from what once used to be an indoor track. The building also house a number of racquetball courts, and a climbing wall. The venue has also shown its versatility in hosting some very…messy events. And of course, when the hockey season is out, this facility has been the epicenter of amazing performances from many notable musicians and performers from that past and present. Many of these performances have helped put Lethbridge on the map. In addition to the musical performances, the venue has also welcomed Olympic athletes, wrestlers, comedians, and the internationally renowned Cirque du Soleil.
Residents are invited for a one-day-only event to embark on this tour on Thursday October the 24th. The one-hour tours begin at 1pm, with the last one at 6:15pm. No registration is needed to attend this free event.
If the walking tours aren’t enough to satisfy your nostalgia bug, the Galt Museum & Archives has a new exhibition that may do the trick.
The exhibit, Building a Legacy: The Sportsplex at 50, will be unveiled on Saturday, November 2. The exhibit features a range of moments from the iconic Lethbridge landmark. Photos and artifacts featured include the last remaining copy of the original construction drawings used to build the Sportsplex and the 1975 Canada Games torch that was carried across the country.
