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General Motors Place/Pacific Coliseum Articles
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General Motors Place/Pacific Coliseum Articles
Thursday 1 May 1997
Stylized orca draws mixed reviews from Canuck faithful
Mike Beamish
Vancouver Sun
New Vancouver Canuck Logo
It's a whale. Would you have expected anything else from the folks at Orca Bay?Scooping Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment's unveiling of the new Canucks' logo, U.TV sports lifted a picture of a breaching and ferocious killer whale, bursting from a blue sea, off the Internet and went to air with what it believes to be the hockey team's new logo Tuesday night.
The stylized orca looks as if it's grinding its teeth, the way Orca executives might have reacted when the news leaked out. The Canucks had been looking to make a splashy design introduction after general manager and president Pat Quinn returns from the world hockey championships in Finland.
"Pat Quinn will be the one to articulate the message to our fans," says Steve Tambellini, the Canucks' vice-president of business operations, in what amounts to a 'no comment.' "Pat's very excited about the event, toward the end of May, because it won't just be a logo change. It will be a complete uniform identity change."
In the unlikely event Orca Bay was clever enough to send out a trial balloon and let a bogus design slip out to put everybody off the scent, most people are regarding the logo broadcast by U.TV's Paul Carson as legitimate.
Of course, that doesn't mean it's legitimately good design.
Skana, Bjosa and Finna, the past and current stars of the killer whale show at the Vancouver Aquarium, wouldn't know what to make of this crazed creature which resembles the bloodthirsty logo of the San Jose Sharks.
"Killer whales, despite their name, are primarily fish eaters, and very social animals," says Chris Stairs, marketing and communications coordinator at the Vancouver Aquarium. "Their incidents of aggression toward humans are next to zero. Of course, it's perfectly understandable that a hockey team would characterize a killer whale in that exaggerated way."
Since the Canucks' new logo bears some resemblance to the Aquarium's own, more benign orca emblem, Orca Bay had discussions with aquarium officials to prevent copyright infringement.
"It looks like it's borrowing heavily from west coast native art," says Vancouver Sun fashion writer Virginia Leeming. "If it is, it's bad Haida art. It looks like a cartoon."
Dorothy Grant, a noted Haida fashion designer who runs a clothing boutique in the Sinclair Centre, says the ersatz whale doesn't offend native designers because it's not representative enough to be called a rip-off.
"Haida design follows certain forms and structures, and it's obvious there wasn't any input from a native artist," Grant says. "I find the whole thing very busy. If they wanted it to be Haida, they should have really gone Haida. It's a bit weak."
Glen Biech, director of the Graphic Arts Training Institute in Vancouver, says the whale logo drew the same reaction in his household as the hockey team's performance on the ice -- mixed.
"My 11-year-old son likes it but I don't," Biech says. "I guess I'm more of a traditionalist. I have a problem with it. I think the symbol represents Orca Bay more than it does the Canucks. I'm a little concerned that they'll start messing with the team name, too. Vancouver's a pretty traditional place, and you can almost feel a sense of alienation starting to develop as the hockey team adopts more of an American attitude."
If Orca Bay is listening to the voice of the people, it might consider going back to the drawing board. According to a U.TV poll, 78 per cent of respondents initially rejected the new look.
Still, it's not just the Orca Bay merchandisers who are excited by the prospect of thousands of kids chucking their exploding skate jerseys in favor of the whale.
Graphic designer Joe Borovich, whose stylized "C" (a hockey rink with a stick) was introduced as the NHL Canucks' first logo on June 6, 1970, says he's happy to see a return of greens and blues, logo and uniform colors more indigenous to Canada's west coast.
"Orca whales are friendly types, not angry like that," says Borovich. "But I can see what they're trying to do here. I don't mind it. It's a good design, certainly better than this skate business. Initially, the 'C' in the new design reminded me of the Chicago Bears. Over time, I think people will grow to like it."
"Whoever did the design did a good job," says Vancouver designer Beverli Barnes. "The Grizzlies' logo, I think, is really lame. Basketball players are long and lanky, not like the cumbersome logo on their jerseys. The Grizzlies could take some advice from the Canucks' new logo. It's angular, exciting, it works. I still think the best logo of all, though, is the B.C. Lions."
General Motors Place Arena
Katherine Monk, Music Critic of the Vancouver Sun newspaper, called the brand new 20,000 seat General Motors Place Arena in downtown Vancouver, B.C., "a world class venue". In her article written after attending the inaugural Bryan Adams concert at the GM Place, she writes that this new home for the NHL's Vancouver Canucks and the NBA's Vancouver Grizzlies "is truly amazing acoustically ... There is no low, ugly echo to jumble the sound. Everything comes off the floor clean and distinct ... The real test came between sets, when the sound of silence was suddenly noticeable ... just sweet clean silence with 20,000 people in the room".
The quality room acoustics were designed by Barron Kennedy Lyzun & Associates' Doug Kennedy, Doug Whicker, and Barry McKinnon. The 2.5 second midband revebration time criterion was established by the owner, and BKL worked with Dominion-Hunt Construction to deliver that required acoustical performance in a cost effective manner. Our design work included 3D computer modelling of the arena bowl, preliminary TEF (time-energy-frequency) measurements of the directional sound absorptive and reflective characteristics of the acoustic roof deck intended for use in the facility, as well as a careful analysis and specification of sound absorptive construction materials. Such precise and leading-edge acoustical engineering had allowed for many possible acoustical treatment designs to be evaluated effectively and accurately, before a practical optimum was recommended.
The "sweet clean silence" is largely the result of Barron Kennedy Lyzun & Associates' noise control design for essentially all of the mechanical systems in this giant facility, which include some 40 air handling units, 10 return fans, 30 supply fans, 60 exhaust fans, 20 smoke exhaust fans (for those indoor fireworks), pumps, cooling towers, chillers, and numerous fan-coil units. Vincent Lau and Doug Whicker were responsible for the noise control design on this project. Direct airborne noise, and the less-than-obvious structureborne, duct breakout, and re-entry noise were all optimally controlled to achieve recognized background noise standards for every space of this multi-purpose entertainment venue. Challenging problems included noise isolation of partitioned major mechanical rooms located around the inside crown of the arena (mechanical rooms with an essentially "open roof" for return air from the arena bowl). Duct silencers, where necessary, were selected carefully and located at strategic positions in the air stream to minimize pressure drop. The standard of this project was also controlled by BKL's duct silencer specification, and vibration isolation specification. BKL was also called upon to solve field problems during system start-ups, in order to realize the dream of "sweet clean silence".
Whether it is a NBA basketball game, a Pavarotti or Bryan Adams concert, or the Ice Capade Show, patrons now come to the General Motors Place Arena expecting excellent acoustics to enhance their enjoyment of the event. BKL is proud to be a big part of this success.
The Peak, Simon Fraser University's Student Newspaper since 1965, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6, e-mail: peak@sfu.ca, phone: (604) 291-3597 fax: (604) 291-3786
Volume 91, Issue 1 September 5th, 1995 Sports/Opinion
GM Place, An Arena of Masculinity By Kent Woodard
Vancouver’s GM Place is Canada’s latest arena of masculinity - an arena representing the interests of men. GM Place, whose primary tenants will be the Vancouver Canucks and the Vancouver Grizzlies, will stage professional-male team games for predominatly male audiences. Major beneficiaries of these professional sports include the public and private media corporations that sell male audiences to advertisers through their braodcast of team sports. By directing public and private investment and consumption to largely male activities and preventing the alternative use of these resources in programs that would redress the disadvantagement of woman, GM Place is serving to buttress male power and privilege.
GM Place, Like other arenas across Canada, will be an important site in the construction and maintainence of male solidarity for it is one of the few places inlife where hardneww and overt physical intimidation are still allowed. In this institution, men will be encouraged to identify with other men, with GM Place housing the regular rehearsal of such identifications. In a changing world where some men face a felling of “loss” due to transformationsin the work place (women have, more than ever, been occupying taditionally male jobs), GM Place will allow men to participate in an atmosphere that houses a distinct masculine subculture. One such masculine subculture is professional hockey. GM Place will be home to professional hockey - a symbbol of the traditional masculine subculture. NHL hockey is a game played exclusively by men “whose dominant practices and vbalues have been those of a very specific model of aggressive masculinity. This model of masculinity defines the real man as a decent person of few words, but with a powerful sense of his own abilities and the toughness and physical competence to handle any difficulties that may arise; a man that people respect and look up to but don’t dare cross; a man who generally respects the rules that govern social life, but knows how to work outside them if necessary (Hockey Night in Canada, (1993). The masculine identity and honor that will be apparent in the hockey games played in GM Place will also be visible in the basketball games played in the new facility.
The masculine ideal to win and dominate the opposition is apparent in basketball. Incidetns of domintation (slams, jams, and stuffs) become the essence of reputation and legends, and those men who do this well become widely celebrated in fan gossip and in the sporting news. Large and muscular players help sell the game as an entertainment commodity to primarily male (rather than family audiences).
The site will allow regular opportunities for the celebration of male superiority, as programs such as “Hockey Night in Canada” will broadcast games live from the facility. In these broadcastts men are portrayed as warriors, while women are often seen in a different light (possibly holding a beer can while dressed in a bikini). The major beneficiaries of these broadcasts include the public and private media corporations that sell male audiences to advertisers through their braodcast of team sports. Thses corporations profit off of the desire of males to watch each other perform the masculine acts of a respective sport. The basketball and hockey games played at GM Place allow the site to become a place a where boys construct their masculine identities. “Sport is empowering for many young males precisely because it teaches them to use our own bodies to produce effects and because it teaches us how to achieve power through practiced combinations of force and skill.” (Sport, Men, and the Gender Order, 1990). Young men will use the facility as a place to construct a set of meanings, balues, and practices. These sports and other means of demonstrating bodily prowess are important among young males as other sources of adult male identity (fatherhood, earning power, and career) are not yet available to the young men. “Masculine identity is pursued as an urgent task by most boys, and sports, especially sports involving strength and aggression, are among the surest ways of staking a claim to masculine status.” (Hockey Night in Canada, 1993). Males who fail to show masculinity through lack of aggression or desire in sport are often called “pussies”, “faggots”, or “cunts” - names with feminine connotations.
The actual physical presence of the new family exhibits a theme of masculinity. The building is large and bold. The bare, strong, cement walls of the stadium are large and thick. The interior walls are a sturdy grey as opposed to a feminine color such as pink. Inside the names of retired hockey legends hang from the rafters. Pictures of players from the Canucks and Grizzlies conquering their opponenets will adorn the interior walls. The name on the outside of the building reads “GM Place”. General Motors has traditionally stood for trucks and cars- two very masculine items, that at one time, were driven by men. GM Place is serving to buttress male power and privilege by directing public and private investment and consumption to largely male activities and preventing the alternative use of these resources various aid programs for women. Shelters for abused women require significant funds to help disadvantaged women. However, GM Places’ spot on the Vancouver skyline signifies the power of a society still dominated by men. It is not as though Vancouver needed a new arena for sports - the 15, 000+ seat coliseum has supported the Canucks over thier entire existence in the NHL. Vancouver needed a new arena to expand primarily to meet the demand for the male-dominated professional sports of hockey and basketball. Thousands more people would rather support masculinity in Vancouver by attending the hockey and basketball games at GM Place, than attending and supporting causes for disadvantages women. GM Place symbolizes a male desire for a masculine aspect in society and a dominance over disadvantaged women.
In summary, Vancouver’s GM Place is an arena of masculinity- an arena representing the interests of men. GM Place will be an important site in the construction and maintenance of male solidarty for it is one of the few palces inlife where hardness and overt physical intimidation arre still allowed. This new facility, whose primary tenants will be the Vancouver Canucks and the Vancouver Grizzlies, willstage professional-male team games where the overwhelming masculine ideal to win and dominate the opposition is apparent. A place where boys will construct their masculine identities, the site will allow regular opportunities for the celbration of male superiority, as programs such as “Hockey Night in Canada” will broadcast games live from the facility. GM Place, whose actual physical presence exhibits a theme of masculinity, is serving to buttress male power and privilege.
The End of an era
The Vancouver Canucks are finished with the Pacific Coliseum and her future remains in doubt.
By MIKE BELL, Staff writer
Although the Canucks had plans to leave, the Chicago Blackhawks swept the Vancouver NHL club out the door Saturday closing a chapter in the history of the Pacific Coliseum.
Contrary to rumours that have recently swirled around the building at 100 North Renfrew Street, the Pacific Coliseum will not join Empire Stadium as an empty parking lot.
"We have no plans to tear it down," said Ted Droettboom, city community services manager last week, just before the Canucks were knocked out of their last playoffs in the 26-year-old building.
Instead the city is seeking proposals from people interested in leasing and operating the Coliseum. "We've left it open-ended basically," Droettboom said.
"We are exploring the waters in the open proposal process. You tell us the terms under which you'd like to operate it and we'll try and find one we like."
Droettboom said all submissions will be due at the end of July and hopes to pick one soon after, as the city prepares to pick up the ownership of Hastings Park at the end of 1996. STEVEWILLCONFIRM "We're doing that to allow people a lot of time to do their homework and present us with some serious proposals.
"There will be ice shows, trade shows and concerts that won't be able to get into the new building due to scheduling conflicts with the hockey and basketball teams and these are the kinds of things the operators would be looking at."
Proposals Droettboom has heard so far include modifications to the inside of the building to accommodate a 5,000 seat venue, filling the gap between what is currently offered by existing civic theatres. The Orpheum and Queen Elizabeth Theatre hold about 3,000 each, then it's a drop to about 1,000 capacity at the Vogue Theatre and about 700 at the Playhouse.
The Ford Theatre, set to open in the fall, will have under 2,000 seats.
He has also heard from Vancouver VooDoo owners Mike King and Dave "Tiger" Williams who will move their Roller Hockey International team into the Coliseum for next week's home opener after two wildly successful seasons in the Agrodome.
A WHL team "clearly won't make as much money as the Canucks," Droettboom pointed out, "but it won't cost as much either."
WHL president Ed Chynoweth has told The Echo his league is interested in a team here, but said expansion is unlikely soon with calgary set to join the league next season. King and Williams have been vigorously pursuing a Western Hockey League franchise - through expansion or acquisition of an existing team - and hope to host between 40 and 50 dates in the Coliseum as soon as the 1996-97 season.
King says the main stumbling block on Vancouver from the WHL point of view is the lack of a long-term lease, but he is eager to be the operator of the Coliseum which would that problem.
"We'd be interested in taking over management of the building," he said, listing some other local investors expressing curiosity including entertainment mogul Bruce Allen.
Williams says the time is ripe to bring junior hockey back to Vancouver and figures operating the building he played in as a Canuck is as good a route as any if it works.
"Not a lot of kids can afford to go to see the Canucks," he said, estimating an average ticket price between $8 and $12 for WHL hockey.
"Families have been priced out of pro sports. Price is important but I think the real thing is that the junior game is more exciting than the pro game. They don't take a night off - it's balls to the wall all the time."
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