Dunedin Ice Stadium

{{Short description|Indoor ice sports and public skate centre in New Zealand}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox venue | name = Dunedin Ice Stadium | logo_image = [[File:Dunedin Ice Stadium logo (2020).png|180px]] | image = Dunedin Thunder v West Auckland Admirals, 03 July 2021 (1).jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = Dunedin Ice Stadium interior | location = 101 Victoria Road, [[St Kilda, New Zealand|Saint Kilda]], [[Dunedin]], [[New Zealand]], 9012 | coordinates = {{coord|45.907689|S|170.504733|E|type:landmark|display=inline}} | broke_ground = | built = 2004 | opened = {{Start date and age|p=yes|October 2004}} | renovated = 2006 (4-lane curling rink) 2008-09 (mezzanine level) 2017 (lift to mezzanine level) | owner = Ice Sports Dunedin Inc. | operator = | surface = Ice - {{convert|60|x|30|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} | cost = $4 million | architect = | capacity = 1,850 | record_attendance = | tenants = [[Phoenix Thunder]] (2008–present) [[Dunedin Thunder (women)|Dunedin Thunder]] (2020–present) | website = {{URL|https://dunedinicestadium.co.nz/}} | public_transit = Bus 44 and 55 City to St Kilda }}

'''Dunedin Ice Stadium''' is an indoor [[ice sports]] and public skate centre, that opened in October 2004. It is located in the [[New Zealand]] city of [[Dunedin]], in the southern suburb of [[St Kilda, New Zealand|Saint Kilda]]. The stadium is owned by Dunedin Ice Sports Inc. and is the current home venue of the [[Phoenix Thunder]] in the [[New Zealand Ice Hockey League]] (NZIHL) and [[Dunedin Thunder (women)|Dunedin Thunder]] in the [[New Zealand Women's Ice Hockey League]] (NZWIHL). The arena is the only operational indoor ice sports stadium in Dunedin and is the most southern located Olympic sized ice rink in the World.

==History==

===Indoor ice facility history of Dunedin===

First public meeting held in 1975 to gauge public interest in developing and building an indoor [[ice rink]] in [[Dunedin]]. Meeting was held by Canadian migrant Dr Barrie Berkley and was attended by 30 people. Dunedin's first indoor ice rink opened to the public in 1984 at [[Kaikorai Valley]]. The rink was named The Big Chill. It offered very basic amenities and a small ice sheet with square corners. It was missing some amenity that would be regarded as standard in the twenty first centre, things like air conditioning and change rooms. By 1994 the facility is in financial trouble and is bailed out by members of the [[Dunedin Curling Club]] purchasing the rink and operational business and transferring ownership to the Curling Club. The rink continues to operate until the board decide in 2000 to halt all new investment in the facility. By 2002, the Big Chill ice rink closes and halts operations.<ref name="HISTORY">{{cite web|url=https://dunedinicestadium.co.nz/about-us/ |title=Our Story |publisher=dunedinicestadium.co.nz |accessdate=11 March 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310143624/https://dunedinicestadium.co.nz/about-us/ |archivedate=10 March 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Establishing Dunedin Ice Stadium===

On 9 December 2002, Dunedin Curling club enters into a new partnership with the [[Dunedin Ice Hockey Association]] and [[Dunedin Ice Skating Club]] to form a new incorporated society entity named Ice Sports Dunedin (ISD).<ref name="HISTORY" /> ISD begins work on planning for a new indoor ice sports facility for the city of Dunedin.<ref name="HISTORY" /> In 2003, ISD submits a proposal to the [[Dunedin City Council]] to take ownership of the former Dunedin Stadium in St Kilda. Dunedin Stadium's [[basketball]] and [[netball]] tenants had left the stadium in the mid-1990s when the [[Edgar Centre]] opened. Council accepted ISD's proposal and renovation activities commenced.<ref name="HISTORY" /> As per the agreement with Council, Council invested $1.2 million and completed a full retrofitting of the stadium's roof with insulated panels.<ref name="ROOFCOSTS">{{cite web|url=https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/ice-sports-ensuring-surface-kept-scratch |title=Ice sports: Ensuring surface kept up to scratch |publisher=[[Otago Daily Times]] |accessdate=11 March 2023 | first=Alistair | last=McMurran | date=7 June 2008 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023004432/https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/ice-sports-ensuring-surface-kept-scratch |archivedate=23 October 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> ISD was responsible for all further renovations and fit-out of the facility. ISD began a fundraising campaign, led by Neil Gamble, Edwin Harley and Trevor Lewis, to pay $3.3 million for critical and desired works.<ref name="FACILITYCOSTS">{{cite web|url=https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/other-sport/ice-sports-harley-able-reflect-successes |title=Ice sports: Harley able to reflect on successes |publisher=[[Otago Daily Times]] |accessdate=11 March 2023 | first=Alistair | last=McMurran | date=22 May 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715125350/https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/other-sport/ice-sports-harley-able-reflect-successes |archivedate=15 July 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> ISD completed construction in 2004 thanks to funds raised through community trust grants and issuing of [[debentures]] to club members.<ref name="HISTORY" /> Two years after the Big Chill had closed, in October 2004, the new Dunedin Ice Stadium opened to the public for the first time.<ref name="HISTORY" /> The new indoor ice sports stadium boasted a new Olympic-sized 60m x 30m ice rink.<ref name="HISTORY" /> The rink would be named after a pioneer of ice sports in New Zealand and the [[South Island]], Corinne Gilkison.<ref name="FACILITYNAMES">{{cite web|url=https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/venue/dunedin-ice-stadium |title=Dunedin Ice Stadium |publisher=eventfinda.co.nz |accessdate=9 March 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310000607/https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/venue/dunedin-ice-stadium |archivedate=10 March 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

One year after the opening of the new stadium, adjacent to the Corinne Gilkison ice rink, ISD began construction on a four-lane [[curling]] sheet with funding from the Caversham Foundation. Construction took one year to be completed. The Caversham curling rink opened to the public in 2006.<ref name="HISTORY" /><ref name="FACILITYNAMES" /> In 2008, the [[New Zealand Ice Hockey League]] (NZIHL) expanded to include the newly established [[Dunedin Thunder]].<ref name="NZIHL" /> The Thunder would base themselves at the Dunedin Ice Stadium with national NZIHL games played and training conducted at the venue.<ref name="NZIHL" /> The Ice Stadium also began construction on the next stage of facility expansion with a new $840,000 [[mezzanine level]].<ref name="MEZZ" /><ref name="FACILITYCOSTS" />

2009 was a big year for Dunedin Ice Stadium. The mezzanine level was completed and would later be named the Gamble Lounge after Neil Gamble.<ref name="HISTORY" /> The stadium hosted its first major international tournaments during April and May 2009. First it welcomed five nations, including the [[New Zealand men's national ice hockey team|New Zealand Ice Blacks]] for the [[2009 IIHF World Championship Division III]] international ice hockey tournament. Second it welcomed twelve nations for the [[2009 World Senior Curling Championships]]. In August, [[Dunedin]] played hosts to international [[figure skating]] and [[ice hockey]] events at the venue as part of the [[2009 New Zealand Winter Games]].

Following a successful 2009, ISD gained [[charitable status]] in New Zealand. The new status charged the Dunedin Ice Stadium's owners responsibility to the public and community clubs to maintain and improve the Ice Stadium. All funding through admissions and ice time rental would be reinvested in the facility. The Ice Stadium's governance structure was modified in 2013 to include representation from the Dunedin City Council and [[Sport Otago]] on top of ISD. The change was completed to solidify the venue's business stability and value to the city of Dunedin.<ref name="HISTORY" /> With the establishment of the [[New Zealand Women's Ice Hockey League]] (NZWIHL) in 2014, one of the three founding teams, the [[Southern Storm (ice hockey)|Southern Storm]], would base themselves at Dunedin Ice Stadium, with NZWIHL games played at the venue.<ref name="NZWIHLHISTORY" /> In 2017, the Stadium installed a new lift between the ground and mezzanine level to obtain building consent. ISD pays off the last of the stadium's debts to become debt free for the first time.<ref name="HISTORY" /> The Storm was disbanded by the NZWIHL in 2020 with two new teams founded in its place. One team based in [[Queenstown, New Zealand|Queenstown]], [[Wakatipu Wild]], and one team based in Dunedin at the Ice Stadium, [[Dunedin Thunder (women)|Dunedin Thunder]].<ref name="THUNDER">{{cite web|url=https://www.nzwihl.com/dunedin-thunder/ |title=Dunedin Thunder Women |publisher=New Zealand Women's Ice Hockey League |accessdate=11 March 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224132221/https://www.nzwihl.com/dunedin-thunder/ |archivedate=24 February 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Facilities==

The arena's ice sports facilities were built and fitted out in 2004 following the facility's transition from basketball and netball stadium. The Olympic sized ice rink was installed in 2004 with other major facilities gradually updated since then, including the installation of the 4-lane curling rink in 2006 and the mezzanine level between 2008 and 2009.<ref name="MEZZ">{{cite web|url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/ice-stadium-upgrade-target-after-budget-trim |title=Ice Stadium upgrade on target after budget trim |publisher=[[Otago Daily Times]] |accessdate=8 March 2023 | date=23 January 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307141432/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/ice-stadium-upgrade-target-after-budget-trim |archivedate=7 March 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> Facilities include:<ref name="FACILITIES">{{cite web|url=https://dunedinicestadium.co.nz/facilities/ |title=Our Facilities |publisher=dunedinicestadium.co.nz |accessdate=7 March 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120013045/https://dunedinicestadium.co.nz/facilities/ |archivedate=20 January 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="CAPACITY">{{cite web|url=https://www.eurohockey.com/arena/779-dunedin-ice-stadium.html |title=Dunedin Ice Stadium |publisher=eurohockey.com |accessdate=7 March 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307124113/https://www.eurohockey.com/arena/779-dunedin-ice-stadium.html |archivedate=7 March 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="BUMPERCARS">{{cite web|url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/bumper-attraction-ice-stadium |title=Bumper attraction at ice stadium |publisher=[[Otago Daily Times]] |accessdate=8 March 2023 | first=Valu | last=Maka | date=23 December 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307142254/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/bumper-attraction-ice-stadium |archivedate=7 March 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> * 60 m × 30 m ice rink (Olympic sized Corinne Gilkison ice rink) * 1,850 spectator capacity (including the Alexander McMillan stand, which seats 1,500 people) * Four-sheet curling rink (Caversham curling rink) * Skate and equipment hire * Bumper-cars * Café * Bar and lounge (Gamble Lounge) * Private party room * Public toilets * Outdoor parking

{{wide image|Dunedinicestadium.jpg|800px|align-cap=center|A [[panorama]] of the Dunedin Ice Stadium from 2006}}

==Events==

Dunedin Ice Stadium hosts regular community, competitive and national events and is utilised by a number of associations and clubs, including Dunedin Ice Hockey Association, Dunedin Ice Skating Club and Dunedin Curling Club.<ref name="ICEHOCKEY">{{cite web|url=https://www.dunedinicehockey.co.nz/leagues/custom_page.cfm?leagueID=0&clientID=6911&pageID=21472 |title=About us information |publisher=Dunedin Ice Hockey Association |accessdate=8 March 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118094010/https://www.dunedinicehockey.co.nz/leagues/custom_page.cfm?leagueID=0&clientID=6911&pageID=21472 |archivedate=18 January 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="CURLING">{{cite web|url=https://www.dunedincurling.org/history |title=History |publisher=Dunedin Curling Club |accessdate=8 March 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307140315/https://www.dunedincurling.org/history |archivedate=7 March 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> During [[ice hockey]] season national men's and women's games are played at Dunedin Ice Stadium in the [[New Zealand Ice Hockey League]] and [[New Zealand Women's Ice Hockey League]] as the Thunder's [[Dunedin Thunder (women)|women's]] and [[Dunedin Thunder|men's]] teams play home games at the venue.<ref name="NZWIHLHISTORY">{{cite web|url=https://www.nzwihl.com/nzwihl-history/ |title=NZWIHL History |publisher=New Zealand Women's Ice Hockey League |accessdate=25 February 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224132220/https://www.nzwihl.com/nzwihl-history/ |archivedate=24 February 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NZIHL">{{cite web|url=https://dunedinicestadium.co.nz/phoenix-thunder/ |title=Phoenix Thunder |publisher=dunedinicestadium.co.nz |accessdate=8 March 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126072813/https://dunedinicestadium.co.nz/phoenix-thunder/ |archivedate=26 January 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2009, 2013 and 2017 the stadium hosted the annual [[New Zealand Women's Curling Championship]].

The stadium has been host to international [[ice hockey]] and [[curling]] tournaments. In April 2009, the venue hosted [[2009 IIHF World Championship Division III]], which included fifteen scheduled games and involved the [[New Zealand men's national ice hockey team|New Zealand Ice Blacks]]. New Zealand won all five games at the venue in the tournament, one in over-time, to finish top of the standings and earn promotion to division II for 2010. Between late April and early May, the stadium hosted the [[2009 World Senior Curling Championships]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://2009nzwscc.co.nz/ |title=NZWSCC website |access-date=29 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327144908/http://2009nzwscc.co.nz/ |archive-date=27 March 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The tournament involved twelve nations, including New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand failed to make it out of their group and the Final saw Canada defeat the United States 4–3.

==See also== * [[List of ice rinks in New Zealand]] * [[Sport in New Zealand]]

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{Official website|https://dunedinicestadium.co.nz/}} * [https://www.dunedinicehockey.co.nz/ Dunedin Ice Hockey Association] * [https://www.dunediniceskatingclub.com/ Dunedin Ice Skating Club] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070120234053/http://dunedin.curling.googlepages.com/ Dunedin Curling Club] * [https://www.nzihl.com/ New Zealand Ice Hockey League] * [https://www.nzwihl.com/ New Zealand Women's Ice Hockey League]

[[Category:Sports venues in Dunedin]] [[Category:Ice hockey venues in New Zealand]] [[Category:2004 establishments in New Zealand]] [[Category:Sports venues completed in 2004]] [[Category:St Kilda, New Zealand]]