A Message from the President & CEO
As we reflect on the past year, it’s clear 2019 was a year of many milestones.
For ten days straight, we cheered and celebrated together with our Halifax Mooseheads as we hosted the 2019 Memorial Cup. The event was a reaffirmation of why Halifax is known for its legendary hospitality during major events. Our venue, our downtown and our community were all truly alive with excitement, bringing fans together to show the rest of Canada why we think Halifax is the best host city in the world.
We celebrated another major milestone in the fall when we welcomed our fourth tenant to the Scotiabank Centre family, the Halifax Thunderbirds. Led by owner Curt Styres, our first-ever National Lacrosse League team was welcomed and embraced by our community, who cheered loud and proud, donning orange and purple at every game. The Thunderbirds provided heart-pounding action as they dominated the standings in the league and transformed our venue into a high-octane lacrosse experience.
Our longest-running tenant, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, celebrated its 40th anniversary with incredible local, national, and international acts under the theme of Power of Peace. The Tattoo continues to entertain fans with the pageantry of our history, military roots, acrobatics, and cultural performances.
It wasn’t just an incredible year for sports, we also hosted an amazing lineup of concerts and events. From Def Leppard to Foreigner, Dean Brody and Dallas Smith to Johnny Reid, we sang along with Boney M as well as the Arkells and rocked to Offspring and Sum 41. We also had the distinct privilege to spend an evening with the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, whose words of wisdom continue to echo in our hallways.
One of the most significant changes at Scotiabank Centre was the replacement of our centre hung video scoreboard. Twice the size of the former, our new scoreboard emphasizes our commitment to elevating the guest experience and furthers our ability to attract and host world-class sporting events.
With so many milestones and events that took place this past year, it’s hard to believe how quickly things can change. Our team continues to work behind the scenes to ensure we are ready to open our doors when the time is right. We are Scotiable Proud, and we will be back to host you for another amazing calendar of events soon!
A Message from the Mayor
As a lifetime resident of Halifax, I’ve had the opportunity to see our city play host to some of the best events in its history, and to say 2019 was no exception would be an understatement.
What an amazing lineup of events Scotiabank Centre brought to Halifax this past year! Kicking the year off with a weeklong celebration for the 2019 Memorial Cup, to welcoming the newest sports franchise, Halifax’s very own National Lacrosse League team the Halifax Thunderbirds, to an evening with the 44th President of the United States, as well as the countless concerts, shows, Mooseheads and Hurricanes games, there truly was something for everyone.
The team at Scotiabank Centre really showed us what it means to be “alive with excitement” as they packed the venue to the rim with more events than ever before. When an event is on at Scotiabank Centre, you can feel our city vibrating with energy throughout our downtown restaurants, pubs, bars, and hotels.
Last year was an excellent year for events and as 2020 kicked-off with a great lineup we found out how quickly things can change. With the affects of COVID-19 felt globally, and the uncertainty and challenges it has brought to our region, one thing I am sure of is the perseverance of our city and its people. We’ve united as a community in extraordinary ways that will see us come out on the other side of these difficult times. As our city re-opens and embraces a “new normal” for operating businesses and hosting social events, I look forward to Scotiabank Centre opening its doors when the time is right, to cheer loud and proud for our home teams and the talented performers.
A Message from the Chair, Board of Directors
The Scotiabank Centre team delivered a diverse lineup of memorable events for our guests and community throughout 2019-20 – one of our busiest years in recent history. This success reinforces that we have a robust and impactful strategy in place to attract a diverse mix of world-class events to Halifax and continue to drive community vibrancy.
With a new multi-year agreement in place to manage Scotiabank Centre, the Board of Directors continues to work in collaboration with our shareholders to guide the responsible, effective management of the facility both now and into the future. While our industry and community continue to face significant challenges and change, I believe the power of events is important now more than ever. The Board looks forward to supporting the management team as they continue to attract sporting, cultural and entertainment events to our city, creating community pride and impact for years to come.
