Discover Toronto's history as told through its plaques

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Maple Leaf Gardens

Photo by contributor Kaitlin Wainwright - Posted August, 2014

Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted August, 2014

Photo Source - Wikimedia Commons

This 2013 Heritage Toronto plaque can be found on the wall of this former home of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Carleton Street just to the left of the 3 main doors. Here's what it says:

Coordinates: 43.66182, -79.38020

Click here for a larger map

One of the most renowned arenas in the history of hockey, Maple Leaf Gardens was the largest facility of its type in Canada when it was constructed in 1931 for the Toronto Maple Leafs. To build it, the team's General Manager, Conn Smythe, secured a group of investors despite the Great Depression. The 700 construction workers, who completed the arena in just five months, received 20% of their pay in company shares. Designed by the architecture firm Ross and Macdonald, its brickwork emphasizes both horizontals and verticals, while trusses, rather than columns, created an unobstructed interior.

The Gardens was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs for 68 years and hosted 19 Stanley Cup finals. Other sports were also staged here, including legendary boxing and wrestling matches. For decades, it was Canada's largest indoor venue for cultural, political, and religious events.

The Toronto Maple Leafs moved to the Air Canada Centre in 1999. The iconic Maple Leaf Gardens was purchased by Ryerson University and Loblaw Companies Limited, which completed its conversion into a multi-use facility in 2012.

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