A staple in Edmonton's entertainment scene met its date with a wrecking ball Monday after 45 years of hosting concerts, trade shows and curling competitions.
The Northlands Sportex was demolished Monday to make room for the expansion of the AgiCom, a large building on the Northlands Park property.
The expansion of the AgiCom is part of a $160-million redevelopment of the Northlands property.
Many Edmonton residents will remember the Sportex, built in 1962, as the centre of curling in the city. The 24-sheet curling facility housed everything from the 1971 International Snowmobile and Winter Fun Show to countless car shows.
Car enthusiast Wayne Wadson said he first stepped into the Sportex shortly after it opened - and kept coming back year after year for car shows.
"It was a big in Edmonton at that time, with all the drag racers and hot-roders, there was any area for anything in that car show," he said.
It's the end of an era for some local residents.
Even Northlands president Ken Knowles says he finds it difficult to watch the building come down.
Knowles started working for Northlands 25 years ago and says he spent many hours inside the aging building.
"It's a bit of a sad time to realize that the building is coming down, but you can't stand in the way of progress," he said.
Pieces of the Sportex will actually live on inside the new Agricom.
Tim Cartmell, Northlands director of facilities and infrastructure, said builders will recycle all of the concrete block as fill material underneath the new floors.
The $160-million expansion will sprawl out overtop of the Sportex site.
With a report from CTV Edmonton's Sonia Sunger
