Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex

Venue info

In its more than 50 years, Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex (The Aud) history tells a story of a building that was initially conceived with a vision to the future - a vision that has been met and surpassed. Kitchener's first auditorium was located at Charles and Queen Streets and was supplied with ice and refrigeration from the nearby Silverwood Dairies. However, when the Dairy moved in 1938, the auditorium was converted to a dance hall until January 1948 when it was destroyed by fire. From 1938 to 1951, Kitchener did not have its own ice surface forcing groups to use ice in Galt and Waterloo. The idea to rebuild a municipal auditorium began in 1938 when a group of local sports enthusiasts proposed a facility which would seat 5,500 people and cost $175,000 to build. It would be Kitchener's own Maple Leaf Gardens. The public did not share the group's enthusiasm and when the proposal went to a public vote, it was defeated. After World War II, community spirit changed considerably and it was decided that an auditorium would be built in honour of those who served in the war. In 1950, council chose the East Avenue site for the facility and bought the land for between 600 and 1,000 dollars per acre. In May 1950, the cornerstone was laid and construction began. The building, with its state-of-the-art convertible flooring which allowed the conversion from a hockey arena to a concert hall in 24 hours, was officially opened on May 24, 1951. The Auditorium was the fourth largest facility of its kind in Ontario. In 1986, construction began on the a 9.2 million dollar addition to the Auditorium which featured twin Olympic ice pads, a teaching theatre, a fitness centre, viewing lounges, change rooms, banquet facilities and meeting rooms. The new addition opened on January 9, 1988.The facility was renamed the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex to reflect the larger building and the original intent of constructing a war memorial.