Goderich Memorial Arena closed due to 'significant safety concerns'

'We have no place to go' The community has been told that the Goderich Memorial Arena is closed until further notice, CTV London's Scott Miller reports.

Goderich’s Mayor has some fond memories of the town’s beloved Memorial Arena.

“There's a lot of memories of rollerblading as a kid and playing hockey, and Young Canada Week - Wayne Gretzky played there, pitching quarters up in the balcony and having the arena manager kick us out, mini sticks up in the auditorium, my Stag and Doe was there, so, many wonderful memories - but, we need to move forward now, and the action is going to start here today,” said Goderich Mayor Trevor Bazinet.

At a standing room only meeting of Goderich’s Memorial Arena Task Force on Monday frustrated members of the public heard about council’s January 3 decision to close the arena until further notice due to “significant safety and accessibility concerns.” Council wouldn’t say what prompted the abrupt closure, other than to say that the building was no longer safe for people to be in.

“The decision to close it was made at a closed meeting, and the mayor today is talking about how he wants everything to be open and aboveboard. I think they're off to a bad start in that regard,” said meeting attendee Eric Wheeler.

Since the ice was removed in 2017 Goderich’s Memorial Arena has been used as a community centre and recreation hub. As many as 60 seniors used the old arena floor each week for shuffleboard, but that ends now.

“We have no place to go at this time, and there's no place available in Goderich that we could use. So, we just have to give it up,” said longtime Goderich Shuffleboard Club member, Jim Howard.

Mayor Bazinet said they have considered that there are only five events booked for the Memorial Arena for 2025, and the facility routinely runs a yearly deficit of approximately $130,000. While demolition was on the table for the 75-year-old former arena a few years ago, the consensus at today’s meeting was to either renovate or rebuild the aging structure.

“We need to have a community center in the town of Goderich. If we were just to get rid of the facility and not rebuild, it would not make sense because we would have nowhere for the community to go,” asserted Bazinet.

“I'd like to see it redone or replaced, but it's a timeline that should have been started years ago. They keep putting it off and putting it off. Well, that's hard on everybody,” said Howard.

Current costs to renovate or rebuild Goderich’s Memorial Arena are expected to be compiled in time for next month’s task force meeting. Community “charettes” and public meetings are expected this year, but no timeline to make a decision on the future of the beloved building was decided upon.

“Time is important to me. I'm 86 years old, and I hope I'm around to see the result,” said Wheeler.

“My number one goal right now is to get going on this. I want to see this through. I want to see something wonderful that can be provided to our community for the next 70 years,” said Bazinet.