Coca-Cola Coliseum, Indoor arena in Exhibition Place, Toronto, Canada
Coca-Cola Coliseum is a brick arena at Exhibition Place in Toronto, built in 1921 for the Canadian National Exhibition and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Its tall square tower, topped by a copper-green dome and small spire, stands beside a lower wing bearing a rooftop sign with red letters spelling "RICOH" above "COLISEUM". The facade has small square windows, a large arched window, and metal vents.
The hall opened on December 16, 1921, after Toronto voters approved construction, and an athletic meet drew around 5,000 spectators. During the Second World War, the Canadian Air Force used the space to train recruits before it returned to hosting events after the conflict.
The "Coliseum" name was adopted in 1922, in time for that year's Canadian National Exhibition. The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair has held its Royal Horse Show here since November 1922, and the CNE still uses the hall each August. The rooftop RICOH sign visible in photographs dates from the 2003 naming-rights deal with the Japanese office supply company.
The main entrance faces Manitoba Drive on the north side; the southern side once ran along the CNE streetcar lines. Since 1997 access has moved to the western entrance of the Enercare Centre, through a hall called Heritage Court. The building sits within the Enercare Centre exhibition complex at Exhibition Place.
The 2002-2003 renovation lowered the arena floor and raised the roof, lifting capacity from 6,500 to 9,700 seats and adding 38 private suites. Borealis Infrastructure put up CA$9 million and borrowed CA$20 million for a 49-year lease, while the City of Toronto kept ownership and guaranteed the loans.
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