The Sunderland Memorial Arena was built in 1948 in memory of Veterans of the First and Second World Wars. The project was spearheaded by the Royal Canadian Legion Brock Branch 141 under the leadership of John Stanley Miller, charter president of the legion in 1929 and a First World War Veteran wounded at Vimy Ridge. Also on the steering committee was Jim Anderson a Veteran of the First World War in the 182nd battalion and later a pharmacist in the Army Medical Corps. Second World War Veteran Dr. Trevor McLennan who served in the Canadian Navy as a Surgeon Lieutenant Commander, was also on the committee.
The official opening in 1948 had speeches from George Arthur Welsh who was the Ontario Minister of Travel and Publicity. George was raised in Sunderland, served as an ace pilot in the First World War and was an anti-tank commander in the Second World War.
