Kamloops Memorial Arena was built to honour local World War II soldiers. The Kamloops and District Memorial Recreational Society incorporated in 1945 with the mandate to raise funds for a new memorial sports arena. A country wide raffle and local fundraising efforts raised $173,000 of the $220,006 needed. The municipality borrowed the remaining funds to complete the project.
Construction began in August 1948 and was completed in May 1949. The arena was by no means an architectural masterpiece. It was fondly called the "old barn" by local residents. The seats were hard and the building was cold. But the rich store of community memories the old building has amassed over the years makes it one of.the most popular and beloved sites in the downtown. The Memorial Arena is still used today for hockey games and practices by all levels and ages of recreational and organized hockey. Even the local Western Hockey League team [The Kamloops Blazers] takes the occasional turn in the old building. But it is the plaque on the arena wall which gives enduring significance to the arena:
"Erected by the citizens of Kamloops and District to those who lived and in grateful memory of those who died in defence of their country. Dedicated in 1949."
From the Sign at the Building
The building has served the community so well that, though it is no longer the major arena in Kamloops, it still gets sufficient use that the city was, in 2013, willing to put forth as much as $285,000 to repave the arena's parking lot. The Kamloops Daily News will tell you more about the project below.
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