Canada Life Place, formerly Budweiser Gardens and John Labatt Centre
Location: London, ON
Status: Operational
Value of Partnership: $41.2 million (construction) plus division of cash flow from operations
Type of P3: DBfOM
Handback: 2052
Awards: 2002 Gold Award for Project Financing, National Awards for Innovation & Excellence in P3s
Opened in October 2002, this multipurpose sports and entertainment centre in London, ON is designed to be comparable to larger facilities in Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa.
As well as having a NHL regulation-sized arena, the facility was designed with the needs of entertainers in mind. To accommodate performers, the space can be transformed into a large concert hall or an intimate theatre setting with the use of screening curtains, flygrids, retractable seats and a moveable stage. It has 9,000 fixed seats for sporting events and more than 10,000 seats for concerts as well as 38 private (luxury) boxes.
The centre, which had a fixed construction cost of $41.2 million, was built on a 2.1-hectare site downtown known as the Talbot Block and includes a reassembled façade of the historic Talbot Inn on the northeast corner.
At the time it opened, the P3 agreement was between the City of London and London Civic Centre Limited Partnership (LCCLP). As of 2024, the facility was managed by Oak View Group (OVG).
Available cash flow from operations is shared according to a prescribed formula in the agreement, which varies over the 50-year operations term. The building and land, owned by the city, were placed in the City of London Arena Trust and leased to the private sector partner.
Partners: City of London and London Civic Centre Limited Partnership (LCCLP). At the time the agreement was signed in late 2000, LCCLP consisted of Global Spectrum, EllisDon Construction Ltd. and Stadium Consultants International. As of 2024, the facility was managed by Oak View Group (OVG).
