Читать книгу Hope and Heartbreak in Toronto. Life as a Maple Leafs Fan онлайн

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Maple Leaf Gardens as it looked not long before it closed; the building is now a grocery store and recreation facility for nearby Ryerson University.

Courtesy of Graig Abel.

Sporting arenas built in the pre–Second World War years have an indelible effect on those who walk through them. It’s tough to pin down why, but it likely has something to do with the fact that people of that era lived much more simply. Even wealthy people rarely had homes that were much bigger than what a typical family has now. When a big, ornate structure was erected, especially a sports venue, people noticed and never forgot it. Churches had that effect, and they, too, inasmuch as they continue to survive, remain notable pieces of architecture. Near the Gardens, St. Michael’s Cathedral stands just south on Church Street, and the Royal York Hotel fits the bill though it lies quite a bit farther to the southwest. All three still grab the attention of passersby, so it’s not hard to imagine Toronto in the pre-war years and how much St. Mike’s, the Royal York, and the Gardens dominated the downtown. The Gardens still dominates my early hockey and childhood memories in much the same way.