Vancouver's 1949 hockey arena, built with Cyclone Taylor's help and home to the city's first rock concert.
Kerrisdale Arena on East Boulevard was built in 1949 as a hockey arena. Hockey player Cyclone Taylor, whose name the arena now carries, was instrumental in raising the money for the construction, and it opened in November 1949. The Vancouver Canucks moved their games here for the 1950 season.
The arena hosted the wrestling events of the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and on June 27, 1956, Vancouver's first rock concert, when Bill Haley and the Comets played; later acts included Ozzy Osbourne, The Yardbirds and Motörhead. The Kerrisdale Monarchs played here in the 1950s, and the Vancouver Nats used the arena in 1971-72 and 1972-73.
Figure skater Karen Magnussen, recalling early lessons on pebbly curling ice at Kerrisdale, said the imperfect surface made skaters tough. Today the building is an ice rink for seven months of the year, with public skating and lessons from September to March, and an indoor playground from April to August.
Admission, rentals and arrival details, researched from official rink information. Source checks stay current for 30 days.
Single admission before tax: adults 19–64 CA$7.93, youth 13–18 CA$5.55, children 5–12 CA$3.97 and seniors 65+ CA$5.55. Younger children enter free with an adult. Family admission starts at CA$7.94 for two qualifying household members, plus CA$3.97 each additional member. Low-cost skates are 50% off; groups of 10+ are 25% off.
Source checked · · Official source
Public skate rental costs CA$4 before tax. Helmets are free, subject to availability.
Source checked · · Official source
A source check records what the rink published on that date. Session-specific booking details take precedence.