Dalhousie University arena


The Dalhousie Memorial Arena was a 1,280 seat multi-purpose arena in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was home to the Dalhousie University Tigers hockey team. The building was demolished in 2012. As of 2025, a replacement arena is under construction on the same site.

History

Dalhousie Memorial Rink (1950–1978)

The Dalhousie Memorial Rink opened in 1950, and commemorated Dalhousie students who fought in the two world wars. It burned down in May 1978, suffering a structural collapse in the process.
The rink saw The Dalhousie Tigers' only AUS Championship win in 1978.

Dalhousie Memorial Arena (1982–2012)

A new facility, the Dalhousie Memorial Arena, was built on the same site. Designed by architect Daniel F. Tully, the structure was inspired by the arena at the University of Maine. It opened in 1982 and had a seated capacity of 1,280.
In 2011, Dalhousie's board of governors voted to demolish the arena, which was in need of repair. The university said that the cost of renovating the arena was roughly the cost of building a new one.

Oulton-Stanish Centre (under construction)

In June 2021, the Dalhousie board of governors approved a budget of $21.6 million for a new arena, called the Dalhousie Event Centre, to be built on the site of the old one, which had been used as a parking lot in the interim. In June 2022, the board was informed that costs had risen. An amended budget of $36.5 million was approved. However, construction was halted in late 2022 due to cost and labour issues. In March 2023, it was reported that there were no immediate plans to recommence work, but that the university remained "committed" to the project.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark the resumption of construction on 26 September 2023. In January 2024, it was announced that the building would be named Oulton-Stanish Centre after two university alumni and project donors.
The new arena will have seating for 900. The building will also house locker rooms, food services, and new premises for the Dalhousie Physiotherapy Clinic. It was designed by ABCP Architects and FBM Architecture and constructed by EllisDon. The project is expected to be completed in late 2025.