Deadly arena collapse commemorated with memorial wall and park

Keith Bender got a little emotional the first time he saw the Memorial Wall and bronzed skates, honouring his former teammates, who died in Listowel’s arena collapse of 1959.

“A lot of memories, a lot of things are dug up and we deal with it and we motor on,” said the Listowel native.

Bender was sitting at the players bench with several peewee teammates when the roof of the Listowel Memorial Arena came crashing down. Seven of his young teammates died, as did Listowel’s Recreation Director.

The tragedy was hardly spoken of until Bender and a fellow collapse survivor, Pete Leppard, made it their mission to publicly acknowledge and remember their friends.

“For the people who had difficulty coming to this property after the arena accident, there were many of them, hopefully this offers some form of peace,” said Bender.

“They can come here and reflect, come listen to the kids play.”

The new Memorial Wall and eight pairs of bronzed skates are the centerpiece of the new Listowel Memorial Arena Park, which just opened this week on the exact site of the 1959 tragedy.

Bronzed skates symbolizing the seven peewee hockey players and recreation director who died after the Listowel Memorial Arena's roof collapsed on Feb. 28, 1959 seen in Listowel, Ont. on Nov. 20, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

“This is a memorial, and a park built around a memorial. And back in 1959, we had the tragic event of the arena collapse that took the lives of seven children and their coach,” said Jerry Rozendal, who spearheaded the Memorial Park Fundraising Committee.

“The reason for the park is to memorialize it on the same piece of land that the tragedy happened on.”

Metal poles in the park mark the four corners of the old arena and a marker will soon be installed to mark center ice.

Listowel Memorial Arena Park in Listowel, Ont. seen on Nov. 20, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

Although it won’t be ready this winter, kids will skate on this sacred ground again with an outdoor rink slated to be up and running by next winter.

“This park represents a place where people can come and reflect. Kids can come and play. Let's face it, that's what those kids were doing on the morning of Feb. 28, 1959, playing, having fun,” said Bender.

Fundraising for the $1.25 million park is at 80 per cent of its goal, according to Rozendal.

An official Memorial Arena Park opening will happen next February, on the exact date and time the roof collapsed 66 years ago.