Montreal Forum, Indoor arena in Ville-Marie, Canada
The Montreal Forum stands at the northeast corner of Atwater and Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, its corner clad in dark grey corrugated metal carrying large red "FUTURE SHOP" letters, with red vertical lettering on the grey concrete side wall. Below, a red and blue band tops a storefront sign reading "Cavino Angeli" in yellow script with "Ristorante" and "Bar". The former arena now holds a Cineplex multiplex cinema and Dawson College space.
The building was completed in 1924 and served as home to the Montreal Canadiens for over seven decades, until the team moved to a new venue in 1996. After that, the arena was converted into a cinema and education complex while parts of the original structure were preserved.
As home to the Montreal Canadiens, the building carried deep meaning for the city and its residents, who cheered on generations of hockey players here. The name Forum, echoing Roman gathering places, was chosen to emphasize the building's social role as a meeting point.
Access is through the entrances on Rue Sainte-Catherine, where the cinema ticket counters and other facilities are located. Visitors to the building will also find areas with memorabilia from its time as a hockey arena, which are freely accessible.
The 1955 Richard Riot began at the Forum: after Maurice Richard was ejected for striking a referee in a playoff game against Boston, a protest outside turned into an riot. In 1997 the building was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Two sculptures stand in the converted complex, one of Maurice Richard and one of a Canadiens fan.
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