Denman Arena was an indoor arena located in the West End neighbourhood of Vancouver , British Columbia . The arena was located at 1805 West Georgia Street at the northwest corner with Denman Street. It opened in December 1911 and was destroyed by fire in 1936. Its primary use was for ice sports such as ice hockey . It was the home ice rink of the Vancouver Millionaires professional ice hockey team, and was the location of the 1915 Stanley Cup championships . The arena was also used for other sports, musical performances, and public assemblies. It was an assembly point for Canadian servicemen during World War I . The 10,500-seat arena was the largest in Canada at the time, and introduced mechanically frozen or "artificial" ice to Canada.
54-557: In January 1911, Joe Patrick sold his Nelson, British Columbia lumber business for $ 440,000. The Patrick family moved to Victoria and the decision was made to use the proceeds of the company sale to go into the business of professional ice hockey. The family built the Denman Arena to support the new Pacific Coast Hockey Association professional ice hockey league, to be run by Joe's sons Frank and Lester Patrick . Both Frank and Lester were professional ice hockey players and had played in
108-613: A strike in an attempt to receive more compensation because the league extended the regular season from 24 to 30 games. As a result, the Canadiens were declared the 1924–25 NHL champions. With the demise of the PCHA, the Stanley Cup playoffs reverted to a single best-of-five series to determine the champion. However, the Cup Finals still annually rotated between the east and the west, and thus all of
162-594: A final edition to be published on July 16, 2010. The closure occurred shortly after the Nelson Daily News' acquisition by Black Press , which purchased the paper from Glacier Media Inc. Black Press owns the Nelson Star, which is now published weekly. 1925 Stanley Cup Finals The 1925 Stanley Cup Finals saw the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) champion Victoria Cougars defeat
216-895: A four-team amateur ice hockey league, the Vancouver Amateur Hockey League, composed of the Vancouver Athletic Club, the Bankers, the Columbians and the Vancouver Rowing Club. In 1921, the Arena hosted the first international women's championship of ice hockey, organized by the PCHA. After the collapse of the Western Canada league, a new Pacific Coast Hockey League was organized, with the Vancouver Lions playing out of
270-425: A lively nighttime street market in the heart of Nelson's downtown, happens twice each summer. The markets all offer regional farm produce, delicious foods, and a variety of locally hand-crafted products. Two local hiking trails are popular. The Pulpit Rock Trail offers a short but somewhat challenging hike that ends with a view of the city. After Pulpit Rock, the trail continues up the spine of Elephant Mountain (as
324-609: A session of public ice skating . Denman Arena held 10,500 people, making it at the time, the largest indoor arena in Canada, one of the world's largest indoor arenas, and the second largest indoor arena in North America , after the second Madison Square Garden in New York City . The Arena was built at a cost of $ 226,382. In 1927, the Patricks built the 2,500 seat Denman Auditorium next to
378-784: A small city southwest of Nelson, were jointly voted the best ski locales in North America by the readers of California-based Powder magazine. Mountain biking is part of the local culture, and Nelson offers a wide variety of MTB-oriented trails for all experience levels. Rock climbing is also a popular summer activity. Kootenay Crag, Hall Siding, Grohman Narrows and CIC Bluffs are popular city crags. Slocan Bluffs and Kinnaird are in nearby Slocan City and Castlegar. 2003 saw bouldering take off in Nelson, with extensive new development of bouldering areas in Grohman Narrows and nearby Robson. Nelson
432-673: Is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the Southern Interior of British Columbia , Canada. Known as "The Queen City" and acknowledged for its impressive collection of restored heritage buildings from its glory days in a regional silver rush , Nelson is one of the three cities forming the commercial and population core of the West Kootenay region, the others being Castlegar and Trail . The city
486-525: Is also located close to Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park . On January 13, 2007, Nelson was the broadcast location for the annual Hockey Day in Canada special. Highways 3A and 6 pass through Nelson, while a scheduled commercial airline service is available at the West Kootenay Regional Airport in Castlegar, approximately 43 kilometres (27 mi) southwest of the city. Trail Airport
540-472: Is another nearby airport, while Nelson Airport is several blocks away from downtown Nelson. Public transit in Nelson is provided by the West Kootenay Transit System , which runs several routes within the city and to neighbouring communities. Both Level 2 and Level 3 (DC fast-charging) electric vehicle charging stations have been installed in the city. A carsharing service is available in
594-522: Is home to the Tenth Street and Silver King campuses of Selkirk College , which absorbed Kootenay School of the Arts as a department and was renamed Kootenay Studio Arts. Kootenay Columbia College of Integrative Health Sciences has three campuses on Baker Street in Nelson. The Nelson Daily News was a local newspaper which began publishing in 1902. In 2010, it was announced the paper would shut down following
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#1732851077634648-597: Is the seat of the Regional District of Central Kootenay . It is represented in the provincial legislature by the riding of Nelson-Creston , and in the Parliament of Canada by the riding of Kootenay—Columbia . The city of Nelson is situated in the western Kootenay region of British Columbia, which is part of the traditional territories of the Sinixt (or Lakes) and Ktunaxa (Kutenai) peoples. Gold and silver were found in
702-633: The National Hockey Association and other early professional leagues in Eastern Canada. Simultaneously, the Patricks also built the 4000-seat Patrick Arena in Victoria. To build the Vancouver arena, the Patricks bought a parcel of land consisting of thirteen lots from the water's edge of Coal Harbour to Georgia Street, bounded by Denman and Chilco Streets. The location was near Stanley Park to
756-530: The National Hockey Association 's Ottawa Senators , the first Stanley Cup series held west of Winnipeg . The series was won by the Millionaires, and remains the only Stanley Cup won by a Vancouver team. The Arena also hosted Stanley Cup series in 1921 , won by Ottawa, the 1923 series won by Ottawa and game two of the 1925 series , won by the Victoria Cougars . During construction, the Patricks organized
810-679: The National Hockey League (NHL) champion Montreal Canadiens three games to one in a best-of-five game series. The Canadiens were substitute NHL representatives, as the final series to decide the NHL champion was not played. The Cougars were the last non-NHL team to win the Cup as the WCHL (renamed the Western Hockey League for the 1925–26 season ) folded after 1926 , leaving the Stanley Cup to become
864-671: The Parliament Buildings in Victoria, the Vancouver Provincial Courthouse , and the second Hotel Vancouver , designed chateau-style civic buildings made of granite, which stand today. By the 1900s, Nelson boasted several fine hotels, a Hudson's Bay Company store and an electric streetcar system. The local forestry and mining industries were well established. The town built its own hydroelectric generating system. English immigrants planted lakeside orchards, and Doukhobors from Russia, sponsored by Tolstoy and
918-557: The Quakers , tilled the valley benchlands. The Doukhobor museum is located nearby, close to the neighbouring town of Castlegar. Nelson 1917-1920 used Single transferable vote (STV), a form of proportional representation, to elect its councillors. Councillors were elected in one at-large district. Each voter casts just a single vote using a ranked transferable ballot. During the Vietnam War , many American draft evaders settled in Nelson and
972-739: The Arena for a political rally by the CCF , the largest indoor gathering in Vancouver up until that time. The Denman Auditorium was taken over during World War II by the Canadian navy, then used as storage by Boeing Aircraft. It was bought in 1945 by H. M. Singer, who converted it back to a venue. Two notable rock and roll concerts took place in 1957, by a touring group of musicians known as "The Biggest Show of Stars." The lineup included Paul Anka , Chuck Berry , Eddie Cochran , Fats Domino , The Drifters , The Everly Brothers , Buddy Holly , Buddy Knox and others. The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra regularly played at
1026-417: The Arena was clad in brick to reduce its risk of burning due to fire. On the night of August 19, 1936, 4,000 fans had attended a boxing match by Max Baer . By 1:30 AM that night, a fire had broken out in the adjacent Coal Harbour area. Despite the recently added brick veneer, the fire spread to inside the Arena. The interior exploded into flame and the Arena could not be saved by Vancouver firemen. Stan Patrick,
1080-631: The Arena. The Auditorium, which was multi-purpose, survived the fire of 1936 and was renovated in 1952. It re-opened on September 10, 1952, as the Georgia Auditorium concert hall. It only lasted seven years before it was demolished in 1959, after the construction of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre . The Arena was the permanent home of the professional Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association . The Arena
1134-658: The Arena. The PCHL lasted three years. In 1933, the Lions were revived in the North West Hockey League . The Lions continued after the destruction of the Arena, and a reconstituted PCHL began operations with the Lions as a member. Two other ice sports clubs had their start at the Denman Arena. The Arena also had four curling rinks in the basement and the Vancouver Curling Club was established in December 1911. Curling
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#17328510776341188-458: The Canadiens won game three, 4–2. In game four, Gizzy Hart scored the game-winning goal in Victoria's 6–1 win to clinch the Cup. Cougars goaltender Hap Holmes recorded a 2.00 goal-against average for the series. Jack Walker led Victoria in goals with four, while Frank Fredrickson scored three. Overall, eight different player combining for the Cougars' 16 goals. The 1925 Stanley Cup
1242-602: The Forum as well, and in 1965 moved to Richmond, British Columbia to Richmond's Minoru Arena. The Arena and Auditorium were also used for boxing and wrestling matches. The North Shore Indians of the Inter-City League played box lacrosse in the Arena in the 1930s. In 1914, the Arena was used to house over 1,000 soldiers who were assembling to form the 23rd Infantry Brigade. The soldiers left Vancouver in August 1914 to be deployed as
1296-606: The Kootenay Country Co-op is "the largest independent member-owned natural food store in Canada and a respected player nationally in organic retail circles." The Save-On-Foods in Nelson is that company's leading store for organic and natural foods. The Nelson Brewing Company is a microbrewery in Nelson. Nelson is noted as a cultural centre. Nelson has benefited from art education opportunities for many decades. While high-school-level art classes had always existed, in 1960, art instruction became more centralized when
1350-518: The NHL's de facto championship trophy. The Cougars would also be the last team based west of Chicago to win the Cup until the Edmonton Oilers won the trophy in 1984 . These were also the last Stanley Cup Finals games to be played in Western Canada until the Vancouver Canucks qualified for the 1982 Finals . Games one, three, and four were held in Victoria. Game two, held in Vancouver, was
1404-620: The Royals were the winners of the first PCHA championship. The Royals were disbanded in 1914, when the PCHA formed a team in Portland, Oregon . The Millionaires were later renamed the Maroons and were disbanded in 1926 when the Western Canada Hockey League discontinued operations. The Arena hosted the Stanley Cup "World Series" championship series four times. The 1915 series pitted the Millionaires versus
1458-602: The area in 1867. Following the discovery of silver at nearby Toad Mountain in 1886, the town's population quickly expanded, leading to incorporation in 1897. Two railways were built to pass through Nelson. Due to its location near transportation corridors, Nelson grew to supply the local mining activity and soon became the region's transportation and distribution centre. Nelson was named in 1888 after Hugh Nelson , then Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. Francis Rattenbury , an architect most noted in British Columbia for
1512-438: The buildings to their original brilliance. Local designer Bob Inwood, one of Nelson's many American immigrants, played a significant role as a consultant. By 1985, Baker Street was completely transformed. Affirmation of the street's success came in 1986 when Steve Martin chose to produce his feature film Roxanne primarily in Nelson, using the local fire hall as a primary set and many historic locations for others. More broadly,
1566-675: The design of the time, Nelson merchants 'modernized' their buildings with aluminum siding. In the early 1980s, Nelson suffered a devastating economic downturn when the local Kootenay Forest Products sawmill was closed. Downtown merchants were already suffering from the opening of a large, regional shopping centre on Nelson's central waterfront, the Chahko Mika Mall. At the time, Victoria and Vancouver were experimenting with historical restorations of their oldest areas, with some success. To save downtown and Baker Street from blight, Nelson quickly followed suit, stripping aluminum facades and restoring
1620-514: The first Canadian troops in World War I . On October 21, 1924, the Arena was the site of a political radio broadcast by Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King , who spoke at Denman Arena during a tour of the west. It may have been the first political broadcast in Canada. Later that year, the telephone line installed was used for the first radio broadcast of an ice hockey game in British Columbia. On April 28, 1935, over 16,000 assembled at
1674-701: The former Notre Dame buildings. The independent artists-run Oxygen Art Centre was developed by the Nelson Fine Art Centre Society (founded in 2002) by former writing and visual art faculty from the Kootenay School of the Arts. In 2005, the Society opened the Oxygen Art Centre in downtown Nelson, offering classes, exhibitions, and residencies. The Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery provides gallery space for travelling exhibitions, and work by some of
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1728-510: The games in the 1925 Finals were played on the West Coast. Games one, three, and four were played at the 4,200 seat Patrick Arena in Victoria; game two was played at the Denman Arena in Vancouver. The decision to use the larger Denman Arena (10,500 seats) for game two was based on the huge demand for tickets. The Cougars jumped to a two games to none series lead with 5–2 and 3–1 victories, but
1782-639: The last neutral site game in Stanley Cup Finals history that did not involve the New York Rangers until the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals . Prior to the season, the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) folded and two of its teams, the Cougars and the Vancouver Maroons joined the WCHL. Victoria finished the 1924–25 WCHL regular season in third place, but eventually upset the Calgary Tigers in
1836-468: The locals call it) to more postcard views and eventually to the radio towers visible everywhere in the city. Hikers venturing beyond Pulpit Rock should have essential wilderness gear and exercise common sense. Public access to the Pulpit Rock trail has been restored with the opening, in the spring of 2009, of a new access point several hundred metres west of the old trailhead, which was on private land. In
1890-423: The night. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Nelson had a population of 11,106 living in 4,948 of its 5,314 total private dwellings, a change of 5.1% from its 2016 population of 10,572. With a land area of 11.93 km (4.61 sq mi), it had a population density of 930.9/km (2,411.1/sq mi) in 2021. Nelson's poverty rate has been ascertained to be more than twice
1944-599: The post-secondary Nelson School of Fine Art opened. After this closed in 1977, it was succeeded in 1979 by offerings from the University of Victoria-sponsored David Thompson University Centre, located in the buildings of Nelson’s former Notre Dame University. In 1991, the Kootenay School of the Arts opened. It was an independent institution featuring fine crafts. In 2006, it was absorbed by Selkirk College and renamed Kootenay Studio Arts. In addition, Selkirk College offers another respected department, its School of Music & Media, in
1998-468: The provincial and national averages. According to the 2021 census , religious groups in Nelson included: Traditionally, the economy of Nelson and the surrounding area has been primarily resource-based (forestry, in particular). This sector still represents a component of the area’s employment. Nelson is also a provincial administrative center for the Kootenays, and several regional and district offices of
2052-426: The provincial government have been centralized in Nelson, as well as some Federal offices. Tourism has been of growing importance to the city. Many fine craftspeople live in the Nelson region, and the city’s retail sector includes outlets where they can sell their creations. In recent decades, Nelson and its region had been noted for illegal marijuana production, with The Guardian reporting in 2010 that: Nelson
2106-474: The region's artists. In 1998, Nelson was highlighted as the "Number One Small Town Arts Community in Canada" by the publisher of The 100 Best Small Arts Towns in America, and is home to a large and diverse artisan community. The annual Artwalk , a display of artwork at various venues around town, features local talent where trippers and artwalkers (as the locals call them) can get an up close and personal look at
2160-648: The studios and creative processes of local artisans. July, August and September mark three months of exhibitions throughout the downtown core in a variety of galleries and local businesses. Each month has a separate grand opening (usually the first Friday evening of the month), which includes refreshments, musicians, panhandlers and artwork for locals and visitors to enjoy as they stroll through downtown Nelson. The Nelson Farmers Market located at Cottonwood Falls Park takes place every Saturday from May through October. The Downtown Farmers Market happens on Baker Street every Wednesday from June through September. Market Night,
2214-469: The surrounding area. This influx of liberal, mostly educated young people significantly impacted the area's cultural and political demographics. Nelson's mountainous geography kept growth confined to the narrow valley bottom, except for specific hillside structures such as the local High School and the former Notre Dame University College (NDU) campus. Throughout the '60s and '70s, when more prosperous cities were tearing down and rebuilding their downtowns to
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2268-1040: The town through the Kootenay Carshare Co-operative Nelson is served by the freight-only Kootenay Valley Railway , an internal business unit of the Canadian Pacific Railway . Nelson is the historic headquarters of the CPR Kootenay Division , serving as the meeting point of the CPR Boundary subdivision running towards Castlegar, BC , and the CPR Nelson subdivision running towards Cranbrook. School District 8 Kootenay Lake operates public schools in Nelson and surrounding communities. Nelson Christian Community School. NCCS. K-Gr.8 St. Joseph's Catholic School The Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique operates one French-language school: école des Sentiers-alpins . Nelson
2322-475: The transformation marked the beginning of Nelson's ongoing transition from a resource-based town to an arts and tourism town. A walk down Baker Street through the Historic District is now one of Nelson's promoted visitor activities . Nelson has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfb ) with four distinct seasons. Winters are cold and snowy, while summers are warm and drier, with cool temperatures during
2376-527: The two-game total goals WCHL championship series by a combined score of 3–1. Meanwhile, the Canadiens also finished the NHL regular season in third place. In the NHL playoffs, Montreal went on to beat the second place Toronto St. Patricks , 5–2, in a two-game total goals series. The winner of that series was to go on and play the first place Hamilton Tigers . However, the Tigers were suspended after Hamilton players staged
2430-506: The venue during the 1950s. The final event at the Georgia Auditorium took place on June 19, 1959. It was a free show by the CBC Talent Caravan. Other musical performances at the Arena and Auditorium included performances by Maurice Ravel , Dizzy Gillespie , Glenn Gould , Charlie Parker , Oscar Peterson , Ella Fitzgerald , Jeanette MacDonald , Margaret Truman and others. The Arena was built of wood in 1911. Not long before 1936,
2484-548: The west, and was connected to the downtown business district by a streetcar line along Georgia Street. The site was previously the location of the Kanaka Ranch, which was settled in the 1860s by Hawaiian families, who grew fruit and vegetables, and produced charcoal, on the site. To finance the construction of the Arena, the Patricks formed the Vancouver Arena Company Limited, capitalized at $ 200,000. The company
2538-519: The winter, skiing and snowboarding are Nelson's primary outdoor activities. Thirty minutes south of town is the Whitewater Ski Resort , which provides access (via one triple chairlift, one double chairlift, one quad chairlift, and a handle tow) to 396 vertical metres (1,299 ft) of beginner to advanced terrain. The resort also provides access to hundreds of kilometres of off-piste skiing and back-country touring. In 2012, Nelson and Rossland,
2592-412: The youngest brother of Frank and Lester Patrick, and manager of the auditorium, attended the fire and was quoted as saying "You think this is a good fire? You should have seen the one in Victoria. That was a pip!" A lack of wind prevented the huge fire from spreading into downtown Vancouver. The overall damage of the fire was estimated at $ 500,000. Two persons were killed and three firemen injured. The Arena
2646-451: Was able to make the transition from a typical rural lumber town into a thriving arts and mountain sports hotbed, due in part to the wealth generated by marijuana growers. If one were to have spent the last three years in this idyllic mountain hamlet, the economic crisis would have been barely noticeable. Nelson has several retail outlets for natural foods, including a year-round market specializing in these products. A local news source claimed
2700-529: Was also the home of the New Westminster Royals from 1911 until 1914. The Patricks had hoped to set up teams in Calgary and Edmonton in the PCHA for the opening season, but the plans fell through. To avoid having a two-team league, the Patricks formed the Royals, to represent the neighbouring town of New Westminster and encourage fans to come to the Arena. Although the Royals were an unexpected necessity,
2754-401: Was destroyed, along with seven industrial buildings, two homes and fifty-eight small boats. The concrete floor of the Arena was not destroyed, and it was adapted into an outdoor dance floor named the Starlight. In 1945, the site of the arena was sold by Lester Patrick to Vancouver theatre owner H. M. Singer for $ 80,000. Singer planned to build a $ 1 million sports arena on the site, but the arena
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#17328510776342808-435: Was discontinued during World War I to make way for the armed forces. The Club re-organized in 1931 at the Pacific National Exhibition 's Forum. The Club built its own facility in 1949. The Connaught Skating Club also was established in December 1911, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011. During the 1920s, the Club held competitions and an annual "Carnival" show at the Arena. After the Arena burned down, Connaught moved to
2862-563: Was divided into 1000 preferred shares and 1000 common shares, with a 10% annual dividend. The company issued an initial share offering, but by September 1911, the offering had only raised $ 1400. Two more investors signed on, but it was up to the Patricks to take the rest. To facilitate the playing of ice hockey in Vancouver's moderate climate, the Patricks imported mechanical ice freezing equipment that Frank and Lester Patrick had seen in operation at New York's St. Nicholas Arena . The Denman Arena opened on December 20, 1911, attracting 1500 people for
2916-433: Was never built. Singer managed the Auditorium as a concert venue until 1959. The site today is now part of Devonian Harbour Park. A historical marker has been placed at the foot of Denman Street, with information about the Arena, the Georgia Auditorium and Coal Harbour. 49°17′35″N 123°8′0″W / 49.29306°N 123.13333°W / 49.29306; -123.13333 Nelson, British Columbia Nelson
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