Tribute Communities Centre

The Tribute Communities Centre, formerly known as the General Motors Centre or GM Centre, GMC for short, is a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, which opened in November 2006. The arena was constructed to replace the Oshawa Civic Auditorium. The main tenant is the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League, and formerly the Durham TurfDogs of the Canadian Lacrosse League. It features the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame, Prospects Bar and Grill, an Oshawa Generals retail store, executive seating and special club seats. The name was changed to Tribute Communities Centre on November 1, 2016.

Tribute Communities Centre
Tribute Communities Centre
Former namesGeneral Motors Centre (2006–2016)
Address99 Athol Street East
LocationOshawa, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates43°53′50″N 78°51′35″W
OwnerCity of Oshawa
OperatorSpectra Venue Management
Capacity
  • Hockey: 5,180, 6,125 with standing room
  • Concerts: 3,200 - 7,300
  • Club Seats: 530
  • Standing Room:258
  • Private Suites: 23
  • Group Suites: 4
Construction
Broke groundJune 22, 2005
OpenedNovember 3, 2006
Construction costC$45 million
($55 million in 2018 dollars[1])
ArchitectNORR Limited
Project managerWeirFoulds
Structural engineerIBI Group, Inc.
General contractorGiffels Design-Build Inc.
Tenants
Oshawa Generals (OHL) (2006–present)
Durham TurfDogs (CLax) (2012–2016)
Oshawa Power (NBL Canada) (2011–2013)
Oshawa Machine (CLax) (2012)
Website
www.tributecommunitiescentre.com

History

The Tribute Communities Centre is owned by the city of Oshawa. On October 5, 2006, General Motors obtained the naming rights of the arena. The City originally selected Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) to manage the building but, after disappointing results in the first year and a half, MLSE requested in March 2008 that its contract be terminated.[2] MLSE had been attempting to get into the business of managing facilities beyond those where their sports teams played but decided to withdraw, with Bob Hunter, MLSE's Vice President of venues and entertainment, saying that managing the arena was "no longer a strategic focus for us".[2][3] Global Spectrum assumed control of the operations and management of the arena on June 30, 2008.[3]

On April 14, 2016, they announced an agreement to replace the videoboard in the building. It meets Canadian Hockey League requirements for a future Memorial Cup bid, and replaces the old videoboard, which was a point of contention for Generals fans over the past few years.[4]

An announcement was made on October 7, 2016 that the facility would be renamed the Tribute Communities Centre effective November 1, 2016.[5] The new naming rights are currently set to last for ten years.[6]

2015 Pan American Games

For the 2015 Pan American Games the facility hosted both weightlifting and boxing events. During the games, the facility was configured to hold roughly 3,000 spectators per session. During Games time the facility was known as the Oshawa Sports Centre.[7]

  • Interior view during an Oshawa Generals game
  • Tribute Communities Centre Exterior, when known as the General Motors Centre
  • Exterior with Tribute Communities Branding
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References
  1. Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021) "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. January 18, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019. and 18-10-0004-13 "Consumer Price Index by product group, monthly, percentage change, not seasonally adjusted, Canada, provinces, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit". Statistics Canada. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  2. "MLSE bows out of management contract with GMC". 2008-04-01. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
  3. Verge, Jessica (June 25, 2008). "Global Spectrum takes over GM Centre". The Oshawa Express. Archived from the original on October 18, 2013.
  4. Wittnebel, Joel (April 19, 2016). "City all in on jumbotron". The Oshawa Express.
  5. Follert, Jillian (October 7, 2016). "Oshawa's General Motors Centre becomes the Tribute Communities Centre Nov. 1". Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  6. Wittnebel, Joel (October 12, 2016). "GM Centre no longer". The Oshawa Express. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  7. "Oshawa Sports Centre". TO2015. Archived from the original on 21 November 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2014.

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