The GFL Memorial Gardens, formerly the "Essar Centre", is a 4,928 seat sports and entertainment centre in downtown
Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie may refer to:
People
* Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, a Native American tribe in Michigan
Places
* Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
** Sault Ste. Marie (federal electoral district), a Canadian federal electora ...
,
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, Canada. It opened on September 29, 2006, replacing the now demolished
Sault Memorial Gardens. The new building was constructed directly next door to the former Memorial Gardens and incorporated its most distinctive feature, the Memorial Tower, into its plans. The block surrounding the arena is called "Memorial Square."
The Garden's primary tenant is the
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League, alongside the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league is for players ag ...
.
Structure
The main entrance to the facility is located in the north west corner of the building, adjacent to the Memorial Tower, in the corner where the box office is located.
Concourse level
There are major entrances to the concourse level from each of the four corners of the GFL Memorial Gardens. Located on the concourse level are four main concessions, as well as the Molson Canadian Hockey House restaurant, multiple beer stands, and a coffee vendor. On the west side of the concourse level is the Greyhound merchandise store.
Event level
The event level of the Gardens houses all dressing rooms for players and officials, kitchen facilities, multi-purpose and break-out rooms, as well as technical, storage, and shipping and receiving functions. Also included on the event level is the Greyhounds' dressing room complex which is equipped with coaching and training rooms, weight rooms, showers, and physiotherapy areas.
Suite level
The suite level of the Gardens houses 13 private suites, a VIP room located on the north end, media and broadcasting rooms, and administration offices for both the Greyhounds Hockey Club and City of Sault Ste. Marie staff. Private suites ranging in seating size from six to ten persons. The VIP Room seats 60 people.
Features
The Gardens includes a $500,000 scoreboard with an installed video component with live broadcast (up to five cameras), replay and T.V. capability. Wireless internet access is available throughout the facility. The facility also includes a state-of-the-art $250,000 sound system.
External features
The block on which the Gardens is located is named "Memorial Square," as it is located on the grounds of the former
Sault Memorial Gardens, the Greyhounds' former home. Memorial Square features the Memorial Tower, the last standing remnant of the former Gardens; the tower was preserved and refurbished after the previous Gardens was demolished in the summer of 2006.
The sidewalk in front of the GFL Memorial Garden's north end (facing Queen Street) features the
Sault Ste Marie Walk of Fame, a series of markers honouring those from the Sault Ste Marie area who have made significant contributions to the community or their chosen field of work. The Walk of Fame was formally unveiled on September 30, 2006, during the grand opening weekend.
Naming rights
Steelback Brewery
Naming rights to the new building were purchased by
Steelback Brewery
Steelback Brewery was a Canadian brewery located in Tiverton, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron.
History
Beginning
The roots of Steelback Brewery begin in September 2002, with businessman Frank D'Angelo looking for expansion space for his ...
of
Tiverton for $1.35 million over ten years. The proposal was approved by Sault Ste. Marie's city council on May 29, 2006, in a 9–1 vote.
The City of Sault Ste. Marie, in conjunction with Steelback, held an official logo unveiling for the Steelback Centre on Saturday August 26, 2006, at the
Roberta Bondar Pavilion in Sault Ste. Marie. There the new logo was officially unveiled, along with a list of upcoming shows.
In November 2007, Steelback Brewery filed for bankruptcy protection and defaulted on its second payment of $135,000 to the city. Ward 1 Councillor James Caicco was quoted in the January 17, 2008, ''
Sault Star
''The Sault Star'' is a Canadian broadsheet daily newspaper based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. It is owned by Postmedia.
The print edition of Star is published on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with regular news coverage also provided throu ...
'' as saying, "nothing can be done until the court creditors protection process with Steelback Brewery is completed. If Steelback comes out of court protection as a restructured company, then we still have a contract with them. If it declares bankruptcy, options will be presented to city council that include searching for a new naming rights sponsor." Steelback later terminated its deal with the city and the search for a new sponsor commenced.
Essar Steel Algoma Inc.
On July 23, 2008, the City of Sault Ste. Marie, along with
Essar Steel Algoma executives held a press conference to announce that Essar Steel Algoma Inc. had purchased the naming rights to the new downtown entertainment facility. This deal had been rumored for weeks, but only confirmed a day before by a source to the Sault Star. The deal was worth $1.5 million for 10 years, and unlike the first contract with
Steelback Brewery
Steelback Brewery was a Canadian brewery located in Tiverton, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Huron.
History
Beginning
The roots of Steelback Brewery begin in September 2002, with businessman Frank D'Angelo looking for expansion space for his ...
, the amount was paid upfront in a lump sum, instead of yearly payments. Essar also paid for all new signage for the facility as part of the deal. Jamie Caicco, councillor and chair of the sports and entertainment committee for the facility told reporters that 6–7 companies showed interest in becoming the new naming rights sponsor when the invitation was first sent out looking for a new name.
GFL Environmental Inc.
In May 2018, it was announced that
GFL Environmental
GFL Environmental Inc. (an initialism of Green For Life) is a Canadian waste management company, with headquarters in Vaughan, Ontario. Founded in 2007, GFL operates in all provinces in Canada and much of the United States, and currently employ ...
had signed a 10-year, $750,000 deal for the naming rights, beginning August 1, 2018. The arena was renamed GFL Memorial Gardens.
Notable events
On October 11, 2006,
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League, alongside the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league is for players ag ...
commissioner David Branch announced that the
2008 OHL All-Star Classic had been awarded to the Greyhounds and the City of Sault Ste. Marie. The game was played at the Steelback Centre on February 6, 2008, with the Eastern Conference squad defeating the West in a shootout, 8–7.
The Essar Centre hosted the
2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts
The 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Canadian women's national curling championship, was held from January 30 to February 7 at the Essar Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
The event was described as having a weaker field than normal, as ...
, Canada's women's curling championships.
In January 2010, The Essar Centre was a part of the
Olympic Torch Relay
The Olympic torch relay is the ceremonial relaying of the Olympic flame from Olympia, Greece, to the site of an Olympic Games. It was introduced at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, as a way for Adolf Hitler to highlight the Nazi claim of Arya ...
. The Centre hosted the torch as it made its way across Canada and the world on its way to the
2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.
The Essar Centre hosted the CARHA world cup in March 2012. The tournament features the top recreation hockey teams from around the world and is held every four years.
The GFL Memorial Gardens has played host to a number of popular musical acts including
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. As a stand-up comedian, Seinfeld specializes in observational comedy. Seinfeld gained stardom playing a semi-fictionalized version ...
, Sir
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
,
KISS
A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
,
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California, in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil joining right after. The band has sol ...
,
Rush,
John Mellencamp
John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumentation ...
,
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
in '09,
Tom Cochrane & Red Rider,
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, singer, author and businesswoman. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Hilary Duff, various accolades, including a World Music Awards, World Mus ...
,
Three Days Grace
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in '08,
Seether
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,
Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023) was a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved worldwide success and helped define the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. Widely considered one of Canada's greatest songwriters, ...
with
Stompin' Tom Conners in '09,
Blue Rodeo
Blue Rodeo is a Canadian rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have released 16 full-length studio albums, four live recordings, one greatest hits album, and two video/DVDs, along with multiple solo albums, side projects, and colla ...
,
Hedley in '10,
Billy Talent
Billy Talent is a Canadian Rock music, rock band from Mississauga, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with lead vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D'Sa, bassist Jonathan Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk. There have been no lineup change ...
with
Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire (pronounced "Alexis on Fire") is a Canadian post-hardcore band formed in St. Catharines, OntarioRoss, Mike. "", Canadian Online Explorer, CANOE JAM!, April 30, 2004. Retrieved on July 17, 2007. in 2001. The band's members are Georg ...
in '10,
Against Me!
Against Me! is an American punk rock band, formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida, by singer and guitarist Laura Jane Grace. That same year, Grace moved to Gainesville, Florida, which is considered the band's hometown. Since 2001, the band's lineup ...
,
The Cancer Bats,
The Used
The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah, formed in 2000. The group consists of vocalist Bert McCracken, bassist Jeph Howard, drummer Dan Whitesides, and guitarist Joey Bradford. Former members include Quinn Allman, Branden Steinec ...
,
Default,
Jackyl
Jackyl is an American rock band formed in 1991. Their sound has been described as hair metal and southern rock. Their self-titled debut album has sold more than a million copies in the United States with hit singles like "Down on Me" and "Wh ...
,
Slaughter,
The Backstreet Boys
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,
Girlicious
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,
Blue Man Group
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,
Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride (March 18, 1934 – December 12, 2020) was an American Country music, country singer. Beginning his career as a Negro league baseball player in the early-1950s, he later pursued a career in country music, becoming the gen ...
,
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...
in '09,
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for her Optimism, optimistic and Idealism, idealistic subject matter, and incorporation of genres including Rock music, rock, Po ...
,
Anne Murray
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,
INXS
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,
The Tragically Hip
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in '07,
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies (BNL) is a Canadian Rock music, rock band which was formed in 1988 in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their Barenaked Ladies (EP), self-titled 1991 cassette becoming th ...
in '07,
Down,
Heaven & Hell,
Megadeth
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,
Jeff Dunham
Jeffrey Douglas Dunham (born April 18, 1962) is an American ventriloquist, stand-up comedian and actor who has also appeared on numerous television shows, including ''Late Show with David Letterman'', ''Comedy Central Presents'', ''The Tonig ...
,
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. As of 2022, the group members are Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce, Tsehay Hawkins, Evie Ferris, John Pearce (entertainer), John Pearce, Caterina Mete ...
,
Bachman-
Cummings in '07, and
Heart
The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...
in '14.
In April 2013, the arena hosted the
Telus Cup
The Telus Cup is Canada's national Minor hockey, under-18 ice hockey club championship. It is an annual event, held by Hockey Canada each April. From 1979 to 2003, the national championship was sponsored by Air Canada.
The current champions ...
, Canada's midget hockey championship.
On October 5, 2016, the Essar Centre hosted an NHL preseason game between the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...
and the
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...
, which the Hurricanes won by a score of 3-2.
Gallery
Image:Steelback-Ctr-SSM-ON-040107.jpg, Interior of GFL Memorial Gardens, showing hockey rink
An ice hockey rink is an ice rink that is specifically designed for ice hockey, a competitive team sport. Alternatively it is used for other sports such as broomball, ringette, rinkball, and rink bandy. It is a rectangle with rounded corners an ...
.
Image:Steelback_Inside.JPG, Inside the GFL Memorial Gardens on Wednesday September 27, 2006, two days before Grand Opening Ceremonies.
Image:Basketball sbc.jpg, Interior of GFL Memorial Gardens, setting up for Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
.
Image:SteelbackCentreMemorialTower.JPG, Memorial Tower.
Image:ClergueWOF.JPG, Francis Clergue's marker on the Walk of Fame.
File:Essar Centre - Exterior.JPG, Exterior of the Gardens
References
External links
GFL Memorial Gardens Official WebsiteWalk of Fame information from the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Association
{{Coord, 46, 30, 49, N, 84, 20, 13, W, type:landmark, display=title
Indoor arenas in Ontario
Ice hockey venues in Ontario
Ontario Hockey League arenas
Sports venues in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Music venues in Ontario