The Air Canada Centre (ACC) is shedding its name and getting a new one, just in time for Canada’s birthday.
As of Sunday, July 1, the ACC Torontonians know will be no more, and instead, new red signage will take its place as the facility officially becomes the Scotiabank Arena.
Construction workers could be seen Saturday beginning to remove the letters spelling out Air Canada Centre from the front entrance, one by one.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) sent out a statement in August 2017 announcing they had signed a 20-year, $800 million naming rights agreement with Scotiabank.
The statement said Air Canada will still be involved as the “official airline partner” for the Maple Leafs and Raptors.
The new Scotiabank Arena signs were rolled in midday Sunday as the official changeover began.
Construction of the ACC started in 1997, before the arena officially opened on February 20, 1999. The first game was played the very same day and, in true Canadian fashion, it was a hockey game: the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Montreal Canadiens.
Only two days after its official opening, The Tragically Hip were the first artists to perform in the stadium that houses roughly 19,800 people for concerts.
Despite the signage change, the 665,000 square foot facility will otherwise remain untouched.