Canada Life Place celebrates facility expansion

A staple to the City of London, Canada Life Place celebrated its expansion with a “topping off” ceremony.

Multiple dignitaries signed a beam that will be part of the new back of house expansion.

“Look back to 2002, it was pretty incredible. Mark and Dale had bought the Knights, they were playing at the Ice House, maybe drawing 2,000, 2,500 people,” said Peter Luukko, co-chairman of Oak View Group.

“There was, had never really been an arena in London of this nature.”

Mayor Josh Morgan emphasized the importance of the venue in the London community.

“London is a place where people come for education, where they come for healthcare, where they come for commerce, and of course for entertainment. And this venue is really at the center of that.”

The investment in Canada Life Place was made by the city in collaboration with Oak View Group and Ellis Don.

One of the main changes are new concession stands, which are meant to alleviate lines.

Zanth Jarvis, director, sports tourism, says the expansion helps London stand out from other communities.

“This allows us to get back up to the top, step there and compete with those bigger communities like we always have to continue hosting major events.”