Canada Life Place
Canada Life Place is one of London’s most treasured venues. Home to beloved London sports teams and an epic concert arena, it is a staple location for Londoners. The Canada Life Place was constructed to replace the aging London Ice House on Wellington Road. The Ice House was built in 1963 and had a capacity of 5000 people. By the late 1990s, London events had outgrown the space, and a new concert venue was constructed, opening on October 11, 2002. This new arena was originally named the John Labatt Center and was a state-of-the-art facility with capacity for 9000-10,000 people depending on the event. During construction it was decided to honour some of the older architecture on Tabolt street by incorporating elements into the façade.
The John Labatt Center (JLC) immediately became a staple venue, hosting the city’s favourite hockey team, the London Knights, as well as concert events including Cher’s farewell tour, and Cirque de Soleil’s first ever arena show. The London Knights amped up tourism to the JLC with a Memorial Cup win in 2004, and again in 2005 at home when London hosted the Memorial Cup. The Knights have continued to play to London crowds winning the Cup in 2012, 2013, and 2025. The JLC was so popular that it was awarded Canadian Venue of the year in 2010. In 2012, naming rights expired on the building, and were purchased by Budweiser, renaming the arena Budweiser Gardens in fall 2012. Naming rights changed once again and the arena was renamed Canada Life Place in October 2024. In addition to its epic sports history, the venue has also made London music history, as the host for the Junos in 2019. The 2019 awards featured performances from London artists, and Loud Luxury, a London DJ duo, won Dance Recording of the Year. Since London’s status as a UNESCO designated Music City in 2021, the arena has continued to host concerts, Broadway shows, and performances by local and international talent, living up to our designation.
In 2023 a mural was added to the side of the building, commemorating a part of London’s entertainment history. The mural titled “Johnny and June” was painted by Montreal based artist Kevin Ledo. It commemorates a moment from a concert on February 22, 1968. On that date Johnny Cash and June Carter were performing at the London Ice House, the precursor to the Canada Life Place. During the concert, the famous musician took the time to propose to Carter on stage. She accepted his proposal in front of the sold-out crowd. This moment lives as one of London’s legendary entertainment stories, and having the mural painted on our city’s new concert venue is a lovely ode to the progression of London’s place in music history.
To learn more about Canada Life place, and to see a listing of events and programs, visit: https://www.canadalifeplace.com/