MTS Centre
The MTS Centre is an indoor sports arena and entertainment venue located at 300 Portage Avenue in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The arena is the home of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League and the Jets' American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
The MTS Centre stands on the former Eaton's site and is owned and operated by True North Sports & Entertainment. The 440,000 square feet (41,000 m2) building was constructed at a cost of $133.5 million CAD. It opened on November 16, 2004, replacing the since-demolished Winnipeg Arena. It has a capacity of 15,294 for hockey and 16,345 for concerts. Originally known as the True North Centre during its planning and construction stages, its naming rights are owned by Manitoba Telecom Services.
History
Development
With the bankruptcy of the iconic Eaton's retailer, the famed store that was originally constructed 1899 in Winnipeg was emptied in late 2001. Various alternative uses for the building (including residential condominiums) were suggested, but ultimately the arena was deemed to be the most viable and beneficial to the city's struggling downtown by Winnipeg Mayor Glen Murray and True North. After a small, but emotional resistance to losing the Western Canadian landmark Eaton's building by some locals and the Save the Eaton's Coalition, which inspired a "group hug" of the "Big Store" by a reported 180 people in 2001, the store was demolished in 2002 to make way for the new entertainment complex.
