Oshawa Civic Auditorium

The Oshawa Civic Auditorium was a 3,625–seat multi-purpose arena in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The recreational complex was financed by donations from the community, including United Auto Workers members. It opened in 1964, and was home to the Oshawa Generals ice hockey team of the Ontario Hockey League from December 1964 to October 2006. The auditorium sat idle until April, 2010 when demolition began.The arena was part of a larger recreational complex including a swimming pool, tennis courts and soccer fields. The complex is located at 99 Thornton Road South in the city's west end, with close proximity to Highway 401.HistoryThe arena was built as a replacement home for the Oshawa Generals, when the Hambly Arena burned down on September 15, 1953. The Generals resumed play in 1962–63 as part of the Metro Junior A League playing out of Maple Leaf Gardens, then returned to the Ontario Hockey League for the 1963–64 season sponsored by the Boston Bruins. The team played in nearby Bowmanville, Ontario for one season until construction on the new arena was finished. The Generals also won the first game played at the Civic on December 15, 1964, a 6-4 win over the St. Catharines Black Hawks. Bobby Orr, aged 16 at the time, scored in that first game.