When built Jasper Place Sports Centre hosted large concerts to screaming teen masses.
1963 was a great year for a young rock and roll loving teenager in Edmonton. Besides all the great local bands like the Rebels, Lords, Nomads, and dozens of other bands, Edmonton always has been one of the major Canadian cities for acts from the States. There were teen shows at the Jasper Place Sports Centre, the Jubilee Auditorium, the Edmonton Gardens and Sales Pavillions, the New Polish Hall, and even the MacDonald Hotel. The majority of the shows were presented by CJCA, but CHED also presented shows. Although the sophisticated photo equipment available today did not exist in that era, I had a little pocket camera that took 16mm film and I took photos of a lot of the acts I was fortunate enough to see. – Bill Borgwardt
In it’s first year of being built, Jasper Place Sports Centre was the premiere concert venue and was the largest venue at the time. It was built in 1963. After 1963, Bill Borgwardt recalls that concerts moved to the Edmonton Gardens.
It continued to be a key place for large teen dances, popular in the 1960’s. It had a capacity of 2000 according to the permit to the Jasper Place Fire Hall dated for 1963. It hosted the Mukluk Mardi Gras dances throughout the 60’s.
However, it’s main purpose was to provide a modern sports centre for Jasper Place and the greater Edmonton area. It featured an indoor swimming pool and arena. When built it was “the envy of all communities”. It also housed large sports event, such as wrestling matches.
The Jasper Place Sports Centre has been renamed as the Johnny Bright Sports Centre and still serves the community, with retaining it’s original characteristics of it’s thin modern concrete, undulating roof.
