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Demolition begins for historic Kinex Arena
Demolition of the long-loved Kinex Arena officially began on July 15, and is expected to finish within the next couple of days.
Since 1967 the building has been a part of the community, although it wasn’t always an arena. The building was first constructed as a barn for Westerner Park, which used to be located downtown.
When the park moved, a series of renovations and updates converted it into the arena that many Red Deerians enjoyed for decades.
“Since 1967, it’s gone through a number of different investments and refurbishments to bring it up to speed, some enhancements that made it as accessible as it could be. It was an older arena, so some of the standards weren’t what they are now when it came to things like changing room size, accessibility,” explained Barb McKee, recreation superintendent for the City. “There were a few challenges with the facility, but it was much loved. That facility, for almost 60 years, served the ice and dry space community and it was known for having great ice, hard ice and also being one of the cooler indoor dry spaces in the summer months.”