Reshaping Canada's second home: how social collaboration can be promoted by the adaptive re-use of an old community rink

Abstract

Given Canada’s northern climate, winter sports and particularly skating, have assumed tremendous cultural importance, yet nearly half of the skating facilities in the country are approaching or have reached their life expectancy. This owes to the interrelated challenges of the expense of maintaining rinks and arenas, and the fact that they are only used during a few months of the year. This thesis takes the position that the adaptive reuse of an existing arena to host multiple programs is the most culturally and environmentally sustainable response to serve the surrounding community. Founded in Guelph, Ontario, in 1871, Exhibition Park is a well-used public park offering an assortment of recreational amenities and community-inclusive programs. However, the latent potential of the park’s dated arena merits exploration. This thesis proposes the adaptive reuse of Exhibition Park Rink into a dynamic year-round cultural centre that provides an improved skating experience, alongside complementary community programs.