PRESERVE Belleville Memorial Arena for its intended Use

Greetings,

I just signed the following petition addressed to: City of Belleville.

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PRESERVE Belleville Memorial Arena for its intended Use

The "WHY" follows --
Top 10 Reasons:
Calumet Colosseum, Calumet, Michigan, 1913
Matthews Arena, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, opened in 1910, but burned down and rebuilt in 1918 and 1948
Galt Arena Gardens, Cambridge, Ontario, 1922
Georgetown Memorial Arena, Georgetown, Ontario, 1922 (still operating but scheduled for demolition when the planned new facility is completed)
Hobey Baker Arena, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 1923
William Allman Memorial Arena, Stratford, Ontario, 1924
Varsity Arena, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, 1926
James R. Dee Ice Stadium, Houghton, Michigan, opened in 1902, but burned down and rebuilt in 1927
Halifax Forum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1927
Belleville Memorial Arena, 1929

To quote one of our American supporters who has articulated the "why" for all of the right reasons --

"... Frequently we take for granted the things we have known all our lives, and as a result we may be oblivious to what makes them truly special and unique.

The Memorial is not only one of the oldest hockey arenas in Canada, it is literally one of the oldest in all of North America. It is significant not only for its contributions to hockey and Canadian history but also because its beautiful and unique original interior is still largely intact. With its double wooden seats, single penalty box, original scoreboard and unusual “square” corners, it is unlike any other of its few remaining contemporaries, and is most definitely worthy of preservation.

The Memorial is clearly important to many Belleville residents, but its significance reaches far beyond your city limits. It is important to hockey fans all around the world because it is part of the game’s storied heritage and a living link between its past and its future. Canada invented and perfected the sport of hockey, and Canadians especially should be at the forefront of protecting and preserving its few remaining historical sites for future generations of players and fans everywhere.

Progress without also valuing and preserving the past ultimately robs our souls because we forget where we came from and what made us who we are. BMAPS has a very viable, cost-effective and practical plan for the Memorial that will both preserve it and at the same time benefit the entire City of Belleville by keeping it a vital and important part of downtown..."

Any questions or comments, please direct them to Betty Burkitt @ bellevillememorialarena@hotmail.ca

Thank you for your anticipated support!

Sincerely,

Betty J. Burkitt
for,
B.M.A.P.S.
(Belleville Memorial Arena Preservation Society)