The Weston Lions Arena in Toronto first opened to the public on November 25, 1949. When you walk through its doors, it feels like stepping into a time machine.

Sadly, the arena is currently set to close on March 31, 2026.

The rink has long been a staple of Toronto's hockey community, which is why so many people are questioning why Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and city officials would want to take this away.

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City council passed a motion to remove the ice from the facility and, in partnership with MLSE, plans to repurpose the property into a multi-sport venue.

This decision has sparked significant backlash, with the hockey community rallying together in an effort to save the Weston arena.

A petition titled “SAVE WESTON ARENA” has been launched for supporters to sign online.

You can also visit FightForWestonArena.com to send a letter of support directly to Premier Doug Ford and Mayor Olivia Chow.

We reached out to councillor Stephen Holyday for comment on the city's decision. 

“I did not support the proposal before Council to break the lease with the Lions Club and enter into an agreement with a third party to redevelop the arena into something else,” Holyday told Rebel News.

“The Council process revealed that the broader hockey community and the users of this arena were not adequately consulted on this plan,” he added.

Holyday continued:

It was clear that replacement ice had not been determined. It was also clear that closing this arena had negative impacts on the sport of hockey, and would introduce barriers to participation.

If the City wanted to move forward with redeveloping this arena, then the City should have taken a more organized approach to building a new ice pad in the area to meet the needs of the community before closing the older one down.