Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre
Encyclopedia
The RBC Centre is a 5,500-capacity (4,118-seated) multi-purpose arena
in Sarnia
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is located on the campus of Lambton College
and opened in September 1998. The RBC Center is currently home to the Sarnia Sting
OHL
ice hockey
team. And the Sarnia Legionnaires Jr. 'B' hockey club holds its training camp at the facility before moving over to the old Sarnia Arena for its regular schedule.
Originally known as the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre, the Royal Bank Of Canada took over sponsorship of the Arena in October 2009, the arena then became known as the RBC Centre.
Artists such as Crash Test Dummies
, Blue Man Group
and Bryan Adams
have played there, and it has also hosted Stars on Ice
.
The arena features two NHL-sized ice pads, 43 luxury suites, and an in-house, full-service restaurant.
was bought by the Ciccarelli brothers
and moved to Sarnia, where they were renamed the Sarnia Sting
. Though the Sting played their first three seasons at the Sarnia Arena
, their relocation was conditional on a new arena being built by the city. The new arena would also become an issue in the November 1994 municipal elections.
There were five sites up for consideration:
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Sarnia
Sarnia
Sarnia is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.Sarnia may also refer to:* Sarnia, the Roman name for the island of Guernsey, Channel Islands** Sarnia Cherie, its national anthem**A piano suite by John Ireland, written about Guernsey....
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located on the campus of Lambton College
Lambton College
Lambton College is a Canadian College of Applied Arts and Technology in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada established during the formation of Ontario's college system in 1967. It is a smaller college, with 2,500 full-time and 6,000 part-time students.-Programs:...
and opened in September 1998. The RBC Center is currently home to the Sarnia Sting
Sarnia Sting
The Sarnia Sting are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They play out of the RBC Centre, formerly the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
OHL
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team. And the Sarnia Legionnaires Jr. 'B' hockey club holds its training camp at the facility before moving over to the old Sarnia Arena for its regular schedule.
Originally known as the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre, the Royal Bank Of Canada took over sponsorship of the Arena in October 2009, the arena then became known as the RBC Centre.
Artists such as Crash Test Dummies
Crash Test Dummies
The Crash Test Dummies is a Canadian folk rock/alternative rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, widely known for their 1993 single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts and his distinctive bass-baritone voice...
, Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...
and Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
have played there, and it has also hosted Stars on Ice
Stars on Ice
Stars on Ice is a touring figure skating show produced by IMG. It was originally conceived in 1986 as a vehicle for IMG client Scott Hamilton, who had been released from his contract with Ice Capades, after being told that male skaters do not sell tickets...
.
The arena features two NHL-sized ice pads, 43 luxury suites, and an in-house, full-service restaurant.
History
In 1994, the Newmarket RoyalsNewmarket Royals
The Newmarket Royals were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1992 to 1994. They played out of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
was bought by the Ciccarelli brothers
Dino Ciccarelli
.Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not...
and moved to Sarnia, where they were renamed the Sarnia Sting
Sarnia Sting
The Sarnia Sting are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They play out of the RBC Centre, formerly the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
. Though the Sting played their first three seasons at the Sarnia Arena
Sarnia Arena
The Sarnia Arena is a 2,302 capacity arena in Sarnia, Ontario that is home to the Sarnia Legionnaires, one of the most successful teams in Canadian junior ice hockey history. Located at the corner of Wellington and Brock Streets, it is the largest arena owned by the city of Sarnia...
, their relocation was conditional on a new arena being built by the city. The new arena would also become an issue in the November 1994 municipal elections.
There were five sites up for consideration:
- The former CNRCanadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
railway lands on the banks of the St. Clair RiverSt. Clair RiverThe St. Clair River is a river in central North America which drains Lake Huron into Lake St Clair, forming part of the international boundary between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan...
. Proponents argued that placing the new arena here would revitalize Sarnia's declining waterfront. CNR maintained that they would restore the grounds before selling it for development. However, opponents pointed out that the site is not located close to major highways or hotels. More importantly, it was adjacent to the Imperial OilImperial OilImperial Oil Limited is Canada's largest petroleum company. The company is engaged in the exploration, production and sale of crude oil and natural gas. It is controlled by US based ExxonMobil, which owns 69.6% of its stock...
plant in Chemical Valley and company officials warned that they would be unable to evacuate the arena if an accident occurred.
- A vacant park, just next to CNR lands, bounded by Front Street, Christina Street, and Devine Street. Though considered a separate site, some suggested that it could be combined with the CNR lands for future expansion.
- The former Holmes Foundry site, bounded by North Christina Street and Exmouth Street. This was considered the best location, since it was close to the Blue Water BridgeBlue Water BridgeThe Blue Water Bridge is a twin-span international bridge across the St. Clair River that links Port Huron, Michigan, USA and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada...
border crossing, Highway 402, and the nearby Venetian Boulevard had several hotels (Holiday InnHoliday InnHoliday Inn is a brand of hotels, formally a economy motel chain, forming part of the British InterContinental Hotels Group . It is one of the world's largest hotel chains with 238,440 bedrooms and 1,301 hotels globally. There are currently 5 hotels in the pipeline...
, Best WesternBest WesternBest Western International, Inc. is the third largest hotel chain, with over 4,195 hotels in nearly 80 countries. The chain, with its corporate headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, operates more than 2,000 hotels in North America alone. Best Western has a marketing program involving placement of free...
Guildwood Inn), with another hotel (Days Inn) and the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club on Christina Street. However, this was located in the village of Point EdwardPoint Edward, OntarioPoint Edward is a village in the Canadian province of Ontario. Adjacent to the city of Sarnia in Lambton County, Point Edward sits opposite Port Huron, Michigan at the mouth of the St. Clair River...
and many Sarnians, for political reasons, were opposed to building their arena there. (It was considered a lengthy and complicated process for Sarnia to annex the land from Point Edward.)
- Lotte Neeley Park, on the northeast corner of the Highway 40Highway 40 (Ontario)Highway 40 is the main North-South Provincial highway in Southwestern Ontario, linking Chatham, Ontario to Sarnia, Ontario.- Origins :The road originally connected Highway 2 in Chatham, Ontario to Highway 7/Highway 22 in Sarnia, Ontario. It was created in 1934...
-Highway 7Highway 7 (Ontario)King's Highway 7, commonly referred to as Highway 7 and historically as the Northern Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
interchange (Highway 7 has since been downloaded to municipal authorities and renamed London Line 22). It has the advantage of being accessible to the aforementioned routes, Highway 402, and Sarnia Airport. In addition, there are plenty of motels and restaurants on Highway 7, which was known as the "Golden Mile" prior to being largely bypassed by Highway 402.
- Lambton College, where the arena could take advantage of vacant parking lots. The proposed arena would be close to the Canterbury Inn hotel (now Lambton Inn), and shopping establishments on Murphy Road and Exmouth Road-namely big box stores and Lambton MallLambton MallLambton Mall is a shopping mall located in Sarnia, Ontario. It opened in 1971 and through several expansions now has 650,000 square feet of retail space...
. It is also close to Highway 402 and Highway 40, and is a short distance from the Highway 7 motels and restaurants.
See also
Other arenas in the Sarnia area, past and present, include:- Sarnia ArenaSarnia ArenaThe Sarnia Arena is a 2,302 capacity arena in Sarnia, Ontario that is home to the Sarnia Legionnaires, one of the most successful teams in Canadian junior ice hockey history. Located at the corner of Wellington and Brock Streets, it is the largest arena owned by the city of Sarnia...
- Children's Arena
- Germain Park Arena
- Clearwater Arena