A group of hockey lovers is hoping a long shot will pay off in order to save the historic Belleville Memorial Arena in Eastern Ontario.
They created the Belleville Memorial Arena Preservation Society and hope to keep the 83-year-old facility away from the wrecker's ball by raising $1-million. The hope is to get 200,000 Canadians, or any hockey fans for that matter, to pledge $5 each.
The group needs to have the pledges in place by December because Belleville city council will decide the fate of the arena by early January at the latest. One of the society's founders, Betty Burkitt, said in a letter that council is not willing to spend any money on the arena and anyone who wants to save it from being turned into condos or shops has to come bearing cash.
While the Memorial Arena has not been in use since December, 2010 when it was closed due to the failure of its refrigeration units, it has a distinguished history. Until 1978, when Yardmen Arena, the home of the Ontario Hockey League's Belleville Bulls, was built, it was the main arena in Belleville. It remains the only large rink in the city's downtown and once was the home of the Belleville McFarland's, a senior team that won the Allan Cup in 1958 and the world hockey championship in 1959.
The McFarland's were a group of prospects (among them Red Berenson), local boys (Floyd Crawford, father of Marc) and some former pros recruited from across the country. More information about the team is available here.
Burkitt and her group want to raise enough money for a new floor and ice-making unit plus other upgrades. They hope to reopen the arena as a facility for minor hockey or perhaps a hockey school.
City council wants a plan in place quickly and Burkitt said they need to present a plan that will see the arena reopen no later than September, 2012.
Anyone interested in contributing can send a donation to the law office of William B. Kerr, 233 Robinson Street, Oakville, ON, L6J 1G5. You are asked to indicate if you want a receipt and if you want a refund or to pass the money to three local charities if the bid fails.