South Okanagan Events Centre, Sports and entertainment venue in Penticton, Canada.
The South Okanagan Events Centre is a multi-purpose arena at 853 Eckhardt Avenue West in Penticton, facing British Columbia Highway 97. It seats about 5,000 and has NHL-size ice (26 m × 61 m) that can be expanded to Olympic size. It is part of the SOEC Complex with the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, Memorial Arena and Cascades Casino.
Construction was originally estimated at $56 million and rose to $73 million after residents approved borrowing $40 million in a 2006 referendum; the final cost exceeded $81 million. The arena opened on 14 September 2008, designed by NORR Architectural Services and Giffels, and the borrowed funds were paid off by February 2019. It has always run at an operating loss, from $1.8 million in 2010 to above $2 million in 2020-2024.
The arena's name comes from the South Okanagan region, and its anchor tenant is the Penticton Vees, who moved here from Memorial Arena and joined the Western Hockey League in 2025. The building also holds the British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame and the Okanagan Hockey School, and has served as the main training camp of the Vancouver Canucks.
The arena stands at 853 Eckhardt Avenue West, facing British Columbia Highway 97 at the northwest entry point to Penticton. It is part of the SOEC Complex, which also holds the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, Memorial Arena and Cascades Casino, next to the Penticton Community Centre and Cleland Theatre. The City of Penticton owns the building and Oak View Group operates it.
The annual Young Stars Rookie Tournament at the SOEC fields prospects from the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers. The building also holds the British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame and the Okanagan Hockey School, and has served as the main training camp for the Vancouver Canucks.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,808 contributors worldwide.