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- There was more to the Forum than just hockey. It began its life in 1910 as a roller skating rink and played host to boxing and wrestling as well. Jazz legends Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington played the Forum in the 1950s, while Rush and Nazareth played there together in 1974, prompting a near-riot when the doors didn’t open on time.
www.thespec.com/sports/hamilton-region/forum-fans-were-tough-scrappy---like-their-teams/article_d87dac89-7913-55b0-9a4e-c690be877d68.htmlForum fans were 'tough, scrappy' - like their teams - The Spec
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Where is the Hamilton Forum located?
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Barton Street Arena, also known as the Hamilton Forum, was the main sports arena located in Hamilton, Ontario, on Barton Street between Sanford Street and Wentworth Street. It was built in 1910 at what was at that time the east end of the city by Andrew Ross (original owner) who was a local Hamilton businessman.
What Was the Arena Like? The Hamilton Forum was the old home of hockey in Hamilton, opening in 1913 and hosting Hamilton's short-lived NHL team, the Tigers, in the 1920's. Correspondent Chris Mayberry tells me that at the old Forum "probably should have been condemned" at some point in the 1950's but never was.
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Barton Street Arena, also known as the Hamilton Forum, was the main sports arena located in downtown Hamilton, Ontario Canada, on Barton Street between Sanford Street and Wentworth Street. It was built in 1910 at what was the east end of City at the time, by Andrew Ross (original owner) who was a local Hamilton businessman.
Originally, the Arena had a seating capacity of 4,500 and standing room for roughly 500 people. By 1977 it had a seating capacity of 2800 people. It was torn down in 1977 when the ice-making equipment broke down and the city decided it would be cheaper to demolish the arena than replace the old machinery. Today, there is residential housing on the site.
There were six entrances—three on Barton, and three on Bristol Street. The north side of the arena (the Barton Street side) housed the coat-check and the ladies' washroom. The five dressing rooms were located on the Bristol Street side, as well as a "smoking room", where patrons could enjoy the soothing weed (we assume they meant tobacco).
The Press Box was also on the south side, above the stands. The building was steam heated so patrons could watch the game in comfort. The ice surface itself, one of the largest in Canada at 200-feet by 80-feet, was lit by twenty-eight five-hundred-candle-power lights. After the first National Hockey League game was played in the arena between Hamilton and Montreal Canadiens; Montreal owner George Kennedy commented:
•The OHL Arena & Travel Guide - Hamilton Forum
•Hamilton's Hockey Tigers, Sam Wesley w/ David Wesley (James Lorimer & Company Ltd., 2005)
•20th Century Hockey Chronicle, Stan Fischler, Shirley Fischler, Morgan Hughes, Joseph Romain, James Duplacey (Publications International Ltd., 1999)
•Dictionary of Hamilton Biography, Vol III.(1925–39), Thomas Bailey Melville (W.L. Griffin Ltd., 1981)
Jun 15, 2013 · Jazz legends Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington played the Forum in the 1950s, while Rush and Nazareth played there together in 1974, prompting a near-riot when the doors didn’t open on time. But...
Dec 29, 2022 · Long before there was a First Ontario Centre or its predecessor, the Hamilton Forum, between the years of 1840 and 1875, Scottish soldiers in Nova Scotia enjoyed the Scottish game of Shinty. Shinty is played today similarly to field hockey, with 12 members on each side, two of them goalies.
Dec 28, 2022 · Ken Soble, whose name is honoured and now adorns a low-rent apartment building on the corner of Macnab and Burlington Streets, bought the old Barton Street Arena in 1953 and rechristened it “The Hamilton Forum.”
Jul 6, 2013 · I read Steve Buist’s article in The Spectator about the old Hamilton Forum. It was known as the Barton Street Arena during my day (circa 1950) and to go there for the first time was great.
