35. The Sunderland Memorial Arena

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The Sunderland Memorial Arena – 20 Park St

Before Sunderland had an indoor arena, residents skated outdoors at a rink beside the Agricultural Building on the fairgrounds.

That changed in 1948 with the construction of the Brock Memorial Community Centre. Built at a cost of approximately $20,000, the new arena provided a large indoor ice surface and seating for as many as 1,400 spectators.

The project was organized by members of Royal Canadian Legion Brock Branch 141, with Stanley Miller, James A. Anderson and Dr. T. McLennan playing key roles in bringing the new community facility to Sunderland. As a memorial project, the arena also reflected the community’s desire to honour those who had served their country.

The building faced a major test in 1957 when a severe storm swept through Sunderland and caused extensive damage to the recreation centre. The arena survived and continued to develop as the community’s needs changed.

Artificial ice was installed in 1965, greatly extending the skating and hockey season. In 1971, a major addition was constructed at the front of the building, providing new washrooms, change rooms and a snack bar, along with a large second-floor social room for dances, receptions and other community gatherings.

Safety concerns led to another major project in 1976, when the north end of the rink was demolished and rebuilt.

Accessibility improvements followed in 2002 with the addition of an elevator and accessible washroom, assisted by funding through a SuperBuild grant.

Generations of Sunderland residents have learned to skate, played hockey and gathered here. The Sunderland Harvesters celebrated numerous hockey championships on its ice, while the building also became a venue for concerts, dances, fundraisers, fair activities and other community events.

In 2025 and 2026, the Township of Brock undertook another major reconstruction of the arena, continuing a history of expansion and renewal that began with the original community project in 1948.

For more than three-quarters of a century, the Sunderland Memorial Arena has been far more than a hockey rink—it has been one of the community’s principal gathering places.