Canucks Executives Explore Potential Practice Facilities in Burnaby and East Vancouver…
As part of their ongoing efforts to secure a permanent practice facility, the Vancouver Canucks are now considering two new sites: the recently opened Rosemary Brown Recreation Centre in South Burnaby and the Britannia Rink in East Vancouver.
Could a return to Burnaby be on the cards for the Canucks? On Wednesday, several of the team’s top executives — including president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford, general manager Patrik Allvin, president of business operations Michael Doyle, and Dax Aquilini (son of co-owner Roberto Aquilini) — were seen touring the Rosemary Brown Centre.
Opened in April 2024, the Burnaby facility features two NHL-regulation ice rinks, a key requirement for the team. In addition to ice time, the Canucks are reportedly seeking approximately 20,000 square feet of space to house medical and training areas, a gym, offices, and locker rooms. Located near Byrne Creek Secondary School and the SkyTrain maintenance yard, the centre sits in a rapidly developing area on Burnaby’s border with New Westminster. The surrounding neighborhood has seen extensive residential growth, and more expansion — including the major Southgate City project — is on the horizon. The recreation centre also includes several underutilized multipurpose rooms, though these may become more active as the local population increases.
Travel logistics also factor into the team’s decision-making. The Rosemary Brown Centre is roughly a 30-minute drive from Rogers Arena and about 25 minutes from Vancouver International Airport, which aligns with the Canucks’ desire for accessibility to both their home arena and the airport. However, for players residing in Yaletown or Vancouver’s west side, a commute from areas like Kitsilano could take up to an hour depending on traffic.
The Canucks have primarily held practices at the University of British Columbia in recent years and have considered a permanent setup at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. However, negotiations seem to have stalled. From 1996 to 2010, the team was based at Burnaby’s 8-Rinks facility, now known as ScotiaBarn. Although they returned to ScotiaBarn on occasion between 2019 and 2023, the venue never became a favored spot among players.
In addition to Burnaby, the Canucks have also explored the Britannia Rink, located in East Vancouver near Venables Street and Commercial Drive. This facility, built in the 1970s and part of a larger community centre, served as the team’s practice venue up until the early 1990s. Although currently closed for renovations, the rink is expected to reopen in the fall as part of a long-planned revitalization project.
