The Chatham Memorial Arena was built in 1949 on the grounds of a training area used by the Canadian Forces during the Second World War. When the war ended the region no longer required such a large amount of land for military purposes so the Memorial Arena was erected. Construction was undertaken after the restrictions on the use of structural steel were lifted following the end of the Second World War. It was officially opened on October 14, 1949. Display cases along the east side of the building give glimpses into the past of the Memorial Arena as well as the teams that have called it home.
Every year at the opening of the hockey season, the arena was rededicated in honur of those who died and those who served in the Second World War. On October 22, 1954, the arena was rededicated by Reverend Hugh F. Davidson to those who made the supreme sacrifice in both World Wars. This annual rededication continued into the 1960s.
