For those of you who love the Ducky Dome, the Musée decided to do a blog about the building with information found in our archives. The arena was used by NHL players such as Troy Murray and Mark Messier prior to their fame.
Its Beginning
The inception of the St. Albert Arena was in the 1960s
when the Town of St. Albert faced a problem of not having enough infrastructure
to support a growing population.
Recreational facilities were among the infrastructure which was
needed. After plebiscites and community
fundraising campaigns, the arena was approved by town council in 1969. The arena was officially opened in 1971 and operated by the town.
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| Price list for using the arena, 1976, St. Albert Comets fonds |
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| Front of arena, 1977 |
Ducky Dome?
In 1984, a mural of ducks was painted on the back wall of
the arena, resulting in the nickname Ducky Dome. The mural was created to make the building aesthetically pleasing. Grant Leier was the artist who designed the mural.
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| The mural, ca. 1989, Victor Post fonds |
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| Panorama of Perron Street, 1989, Victor Post fonds |
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| The front of the St. Albert Arena, 1992 |
Its End
When a twin-ice arena was planned for St. Albert, plans were made for the arena's demolition. In 1992, the building was demolished despite petitions to
save the arena. With the help of Habitat for Humanity the material from the
arena was recycled to build 35 new
low-cost houses in Mexico. The City of St. Albert won an environment award from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators for recycling the building.
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