Redevelopment plans for Weston Lions arena leave 80-year-old hockey league in limbo

Adam Carter · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 18, 2025 9:53 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Members of Toronto's historical Weston Minor Hockey League are reeling aft uncovering retired this period that the rink they've called location for decades is being eyed for redevelopment — and present they're disquieted kids successful the country whitethorn soon person to find determination other to skate.

It's a bittersweet, analyzable script for parents, kids and organizers of the league that plays astatine the Weston Lions Arena adjacent Lawrence Avenue W. and Scarlett Road. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) is reportedly successful talks to lease the determination from the metropolis arsenic portion of its Launchpad program, which provides a spot for kids to play sports alongside different programming and mentorship for youth.

Community stakeholders interviewed by CBC News this week were steadfast successful their enactment of that initiative, and accidental it volition undoubtedly beryllium bully for the country should it travel to pass.

They instrumentality issue, however, with a deficiency of connection astir those plans from the city, leaving radical scrambling to fig retired precisely what is happening astatine the tract and what it could mean for the league adjacent season.

"We merit to beryllium consulted, and determination was nary assemblage consultation whatsoever," said Lesley Bannard, president of the league.

"The imagination has ever been for my kid to skate connected this ice, and that mightiness not hap — and that's awful, it's gut-wrenching. We would conscionable admit the accidental to accidental goodbye and decorativeness this disconnected right."

Bannard told CBC News that she recovered retired astir redevelopment plans for the arena successful an email newsletter from York South-Weston Coun. Frances Nunziata sent connected June 5. 

Mixed signals from stakeholders

In the newsletter, Nunziata said that "through my efforts," MLSE and the metropolis "will beryllium moving guardant with a leasing agreement" for the arena. 

"MSLE Launchpad and Weston Lions Management collaborated passim the process, and it is genuinely a monumental and transformational accidental for MLSE Launchpad, Weston Lions and for our community," she wrote.

"I cannot accidental capable astir however important this volition beryllium for the aboriginal generations of Weston and the City of Toronto."

In an email connection sent to CBC News, Nunziata said she afloat appreciates the level of assemblage involvement successful the task — but she was besides little steadfast astir wherever the process stands, saying the metropolis is "now successful discussions with MLSE Launchpad connected a caller lease."

She besides said her bureau continues to "work closely" with arena absorption arsenic discussions progress, and is committed to uncovering crystal abstraction for the league for the 2025 play — though that can beryllium notoriously hard to find successful Toronto, with request usually acold outpacing supply.

In a statement, MLSE said the enactment is successful the aboriginal stages of expanding the Launchpad programme to a caller determination and is "exploring imaginable tract options," though nary ceremonial statement has been signed arsenic the tract enactment process is inactive ongoing.

"A cardinal portion of this process is moving diligently with the City of Toronto, section councilors and the assemblage done nationalist consultations to guarantee immoderate existing programming, if applicable, volition person a suitable alternate determination and that the selected abstraction creates accidental for thousands of section younker to entree sport," the connection reads.

A metropolis spokesperson, meanwhile, said successful an email that an engagement process betwixt stakeholders and section residents is presently underway, with a "feasibility review" to beryllium brought guardant to metropolis assembly for treatment aboriginal this year. 

Uncertainty remains

All of this uncertainty has near league officials questioning precisely erstwhile they mightiness person to permission the rink, and if immoderate caller task astatine the determination would see an crystal surface. 

On apical of being a location for hockey, the arena besides provides captious backing to the Weston Area Emergency Support Food Bank.

Diana Stapleton, the nutrient bank's chair, said proceeds from fries sold astatine the rink past twelvemonth amounted to $25,000, which paid for their program's eggs for the full year. 

"It's a important concern successful the community," she said. "Losing thing similar that would mean there's immoderate nutrient we won't beryllium capable to proviso our assemblage with."

Brandy Williams, whose lad Hunter plays successful the Weston league, told CBC News that parents shouldn't beryllium uncovering retired astir the task done a councillor's newsletter.

"It was devastating to get the quality that way, and to consciousness similar we didn't substance arsenic overmuch arsenic the firm broadside of it," she said.

And portion she would emotion if immoderate redeveloped installation inactive included an crystal surface, Williams said if thing else, she hopes the metropolis and MLSE would give the league 1 much play to extremity disconnected its tally successful the gathering the close way, should this task travel to pass.

"It's not that overmuch to ask," she said.